Polichinelle finds himself without any money, and his house has been burnt down by the Prussiens (Prussians). Pierrot’s situation is even worse: the Prussiens burnt down his mill and killed his wife and kids. Polichinelle wants to enroll in the army so as not to starve to death. The two friends go for drinks at Mère Bacanale’s cabaret. The Sergent (Sergeant) lets La Grenade (the Grenade) stand guard. A first Soldat prussien (Prussian Soldier) arrives, and La Grenade kills him with a bayonet. A second Soldat prussien wounds La Grenade before running away. The Cantinière (Dinner Lady) gives La Grenade something to drink, takes his rifle and stands guard in her stead. She kills the Soldat prussien that was coming back, and tells what just happened to the Sergent and Polichinelle. The Sergent tells her that she will be honoured, and he lets Polichinelle stand guard. Polichinelle fights the Prussiens and kills them all, including Bismarck and the king of Prussia, Guillaume Ier (William I). The Diable (Devil) takes the corpses away.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

Guérin André-Paul-Julien

France

Bordeaux

Typewriting

Dead for the homeland

War crime

Female warrior

Conscription

Dramatic

Heroic

André Guérin, Les Prussiens en France

French

Polichinelle

Pierrot

Sergeant

Grenadier

General

Napoléon III

Otto von Bismarck

Guillaume I

Canteen worker

Soldier

Prussian

Devil

Comical foreign accent

Fight

Death on stage

Song

Hidden character

Apparition of the Devil

Les Prussiens en France

The Prussians in France

Gnafron is crippled with debts and flees to Madagascar with Guignol, but they board on a military ship and are forced to become soldiers. When they land in Madagascar, Gnafron is kidnapped by the Hovas, who believe him to be a general. They take him to their queen. Their own general having been captured by the French, they want Gnafron to replace him.
Guignol goes to Gnafron’s rescue. He enters the capital and tells the Queen that the French army is approaching. She agrees to surrender because she has fallen in love with Guignol. To avoid the watchful eye of the Prime Minister – who happens to be her husband – she meets Guignol in the main square of the town. There, the soldiers are training under the lead of the new general, who will be in a position to help them because he is French. Guignol therefore finds Gnafron. He lets him on his plan to seduce the queen and conquer the island. Gnafron agrees to help him. When he sees the Prime Minister approaching, he warns Guignol and the Queen. The Prime Minister tries to trigger a rebellion against the colonisers. He captures Guignol and plans to execute him. To save time and to free Guignol, the Queen postpones the execution to the following day. The French army walks into town. The Prime Minister asks the Hovas to fight for him. But as they are led by Gnafron, they attack the Prime Minister instead, and he flees. The Queen is freed. Guignol becomes Prime Minister; Gnafron marries Madame Dumont, who is expecting a child from a Hova man; and the French general announces that the mission was a success.

Lyon

Manuscript

Creditor

Madagascar

Boat

Army

Metis

Colonialism

Love

Racism

Treason

Comical

Tony Tardy, Les Aventures de Guignol et Gnafron à Tananarive

Voyage de Guignol et Gnafron à Madagascar

Guignol

Gnafron

Prime Minister

Leader

Hova

King's messenger

Captain

Caporal

Queen

Tripe maker (woman)

Grocer

Pork butcher

Butcher

Landlord

Spy (woman)

Warrior (female)

Misunderstanding

Character wearing heavy makeup

Apotheosis

Cross-dressing

Les Aventures de Guignol et Gnafron à Tananarive

The Adventures of Guignol and Gnafron in Tananarive

Christians (prince and king of Denmark) gathers his vassals and asks them to approve of his decision to marry. He has decided to propose to Églantine. She is the daughter of king Arthus of England, whom he has defeated several times. After his vassals agree, he sends his seneschal Tchantchès to Arthus to submit his proposal. Arthus rejoices at the news, but Églantine worries. She is under a spell - if the one who marries her cannot solve a riddle and save her life on the day of their wedding, she will be changed into a statue. Églantine presents the prince Christians with the riddle and he cannot solve it. On the day of the wedding, Chevalier Jasmin (Knight Jasmin), who is in love with Églantine, arrives at the castle and reproaches Églantine for betraying their love. She tries to reassure him. Then Chevalier Jasmin sees Christians, who conceals his identity and repeats the riddle presented by Églantine. Jasmin solves it, and Christians repeats the answer to Églantine. A dragon appears - only Chevalier Jasmin comes to Églantine’s aid and kills it. As Christians tries to imitate Chevalier Jasmin, he suffers a deadly fall. Arthus sends Tchantchès on the Danish camp to inform the people of Christians’ death. However, his message is misunderstood and Chevalier Guldenstern, who believes Arthus has killed Christians, sends the Danish troupes to his castle. Following the advice given by his knights, Arthus asks Jasmin to defend the drawbridge. Tchantchès offers to assist Jasmin, then Églantine joins them too. The three of them fight the Danish army and repel it. As a reward, Arthus makes Jasmin his son-in-law. He wonders at the feats the three of them achieved.

Single rod marionettes

Belgium

Liège

Wedding

Riddle

Dragon

Epic

Fantasy

Chant de chevalerie en quatre chapitres et quatorze actions

King Arthur

Princess

Confidente

Female companion

Knight

Tchantchès

King

Confident

Horse

Board meeting

Monologue

Apparition of a monster

Fighting a monster

Battlefield scene

Off-stage voice

Le Destin de la princesse Églantine

Princess Églantine's Destiny

The Duke has summoned an assembly in order to decide who will be his representative at the tournament organized by the Duke of Bato. Clara, his daughter, hopes that she will be chosen, but the Duke chooses Seigneur Hubert and then Seigneur Herbert instead. They both refuse. The Duke sends Clara and Tchantchès to fetch Robert, the last knight. Robert, utterly crazy, cannot represent the Duke at the tournament. Clara decides that she will participate in the tournament by pretending to be Robert. At this moment, Clara and Tchantchès are attacked by highwaymen but they manage to push them away. The leader of the highwaymen falls in love with Clara. Clara, dressed as a knight, and Tchantchès go to the palace of the Duke of Bato. The tournament starts with a fight between Clara and a knight who is taller than her. The knight discovers that he is fighting against a woman. The Duke of Bato is furious; he sees Clara’s participation as an insult and he wants revenge. Clara and Tchantchès find the leader of the highwaymen. He joins them, and they fight the Duke of Bato’s army and win the battle. Clara’s father, who arrives too late, finally understands that “a woman is worth just as much, if not more, than a man”. He evenetually accepts that his daughter becomes a knight. Tchantchès advises the leader of the highwaymen to join the Duke’s army in order to see Clara more often.