Raggou, a French rogue, has been sentenced to death by hanging and is running away from the police. He meets another Frenchman, a puppeteer on his way to the Bristol Fair with his puppet booth. The runaway buys the booth and swaps his clothes with the puppeteer’s to trick his pursuers. When the two policemen ask if he has seen a French runaway, Raggou, dressed as a puppeteer, is forced to improvise a short performance. He then stages three acts, in which the king of Spain plays the bagpipes for his privy council while king Solomon is passing sentence; the queen of Swiveland and the Whore of Babylon vie to be the most lustful; the king of Norway and Denmark teaches the bishop of Munsera how to juggle. Flea-fint, a looter sentenced to death by hanging and pursued by the police, offers to buy Raggou’s puppet booth and to swap clothes with him. Raggou agrees and flees. Since he would not know how to stage a puppet play, Flea-fint comes up with a plan in case someone asked him to—the key is in Bristol, therefore he cannot open the booth. The true puppeteer comes back, accompanied by policemen. He asks Flea-Flint to give him back his possessions. Flea-flint is thus sentenced to death by hanging, but the policemen do not know how to hang him: instead, they plunder him and spare his life.

Curiosité

Not specified

Great Britain

London

Printed

Disguise

Foreign languages

Comical

Burlesque

John Lacy, The Old Troop; or, Monsieur Raggou, 1672 (front cover).

English

Prussian

King

Solomon

Queen

Prostitute

Bishop

Thief

Puppeteer

Constable

Song

Comic distortion of language

Running gag

Theatre within the theatre

Improvised scene

Current affairs

The Old Troop; or, Monsieur Raggou

Polichinelle wants to be loved while he is dressed as the shepherd Philemon, but is rejected by Issé. Doris accepts Pan's love for a while. Hylas is in turn rejected by Issé. Issé questions the oracle of the oaks of Dodona who tells her that she will fall in love with the god of light. Issé refuses because she prefers Polichinelle. Polichinelle reveals himself to her as Apollo.

Rod and string marionette

France

Paris

Manuscript with songs and dialogue summaries

Oracle

God disguised as a mortal

Greek mythology

Shepherd

Unrequited love

Seduction

Rivalry in love

Parodistic

French

Polichinelle

Philémon

Mother Gigogne

Doris

The Interpreter

Pierrot

Hylas

Priest

Peasant (female)

Apollo

Misunderstanding

Unveiling

Spectacular turn of events

Ballet

Dialogue with a character in the audience

Apollon Polichinelle

Apollo as Polichinelle

Céliante and Dorimène ask the Marquis to tell them about new plays. The latter relates that the Chevalier (Knight) and his daughter Emilie, who follow him, have seen Didon. The Chevalier, Emilie and Céliante recount the play with songs.

Manuscript

Society Theatre

Tragedy

Comédie Française

Social Conversation

Knight

Criticism of actors' theatre

Critique de Didon tragédie

Critique of Didon tragedy

Polichinelle and the Compère talk about a naval battle which has just taken place. A troupe of French and Italian comedians is attacked at sea by corsairs led by a French renegade. The latter brings them to Tunis. The actors put on a show for the Gouverneur (Governor), scare the audience with Arlequin’s mask and are sent to work in the fields. The actresses reject the Gouverneur’s advances (Governor). The renegade plans their escape, so that they can go back to France.

Relationship between Christians and Muslims

Tunisia

Corsair

Slavery

Treason

Renegade

Harassment

Minor news

Agriculture

Censorship

Dramatic

Actor

Soldier

Messenger

Swiss

Leandre

Pantaloon

Arlecchino

Masked characters

Avista

Prologue

Comical foreign accent

Naval combat

La Prise d'une troupe de comédiens par un corsaire de Tunis au mois de septembre 1740

A troupe of actors captured by a corsair from Tunis in September 1740

The shepherd Floritan (Floridan) is in love with the shepherdess Dorinda, but she tells him that she will only answer to his love if he brings her water from a magical cave. Instead of doing it himself, Floritan sends his servant Hans (Kasper) to fetch that water. As a reward, he assures Hans that he will give him a trousseau so that he can marry Dorinda’s servant, Gretel. The latter has to prepare a jar to fetch water, but she refuses to give it to Hans because she thinks he is unfaithful. In fact, Hans is planning on marrying Dorinda if his adventure is a success. Hans and Floritan manage to get to the cave, each independently, but Floritan is scared and runs away. Karikux, the magician, denies entry to the cave to Hans, a devil breaks his pot, then he is eventually chased away by shrews. Hans tells his story, exaggerating it, to Floritan. Floritan gives up on going back to the cave to get water. Instead, Dorinda challenges him to kill a monster that is eating her sheep and goats. Hans, to whom Floritan has again promised money for his wedding, kills the monster for his master. He demands that Dorinda marry him, but she does not care about who has killed the monster, because she is, in fact, in love with Floritan, and with him only. Therefore, Dorinda gets married to Floritan, and Hans to Gretel.

String marionette

All audiences

Germany

Leipzig

Typewriting

Monster

Magic

Test

Cave

Jealousy

Love

Fantasy

Pastoral

Theaterzettel von Louis Regel aus Donndorf, Roßla am Harz um 1880

German

Sheperherdess

Kasperl

Farmhand

Maid

Magician

Devil

Ghost

Love story

Apparition

Apparition of the Devil

Final wedding

Der Gang zur Zauberhöhle

The path to the magical cave

After having sung the duke of Burgundy's praises, Polichinelle reappears with Madame Gigogne. Both of them start to dance. Madame Gigogne gives birth to girls who give birth to other girls. Polichinelle is delighted about being the grandfather of this “nursery” and promises that it will be at the service of the duke. He asks the duke to recognise him as the only Polichinelle allowed at court.

Young audiences

Childbirth

Priviledge

Seat

Praise

Laudatory

suivi d'un combat naval et d'un siège de ville

Dame Gigogne

Multiplied characters

Childbirth on stage

Intermède de marionnettes

Interlude for puppets

The fisherman Colin finds a golden vase in his nets. The genie Elemaliga is imprisoned inside it. As a gesture of gratitude for having delivered him, Elemaliga bestows magical powers to Colin. With this magical help, Colin triumphs over his rival Philippe, recovers the fortune he should have inherited and marries Lisbette.

Body shadows

Marion de Salins Pierre

Swindling

Wedding

Fishing

Inheritance

L'Heureuse Pêche, cover page

Comédie pour les ombres à scènes changeantes

Fisherman

Peasant

Genie

Apparition of a genie

Disappearance

Love rivalry

Invisible character

Final song

L'Heureuse Pêche

The Happy Catch

Apollo has fled the wretchedness of German literature for the land of Utopia. Mercury relates how German poets have turned the Parnassus into a brothel and reminds Apollo of his responsibilities. They go to the Parnassus and find that Minerva has been raped and is on the verge of hanging herself. Then, Apollo dispenses justice and punishes muses and the members of their cult: he transforms them into pigs, donkeys, dung beetles, spittoons and dustbins, and serves the rest up to journalists. Once their work is complete, they will be hung by their feet.

Schink Johann Friedrich

Berlin

Gods

Poetry

Wonderland

Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock

Gottfried August Bürger

Popular literature

Sturm und Drang

Preromantic

Triviality

Scatology

Rousseauism

Germanic mythology

Philosophy

Stench

Satirical

Engraving from the original publication of Marionettentheater (1778)

Apoll

Eine dramatsche Fantasei

Fantaisie

Mercury

Minerva

Muse

Grâce

Allegory

Allusion to current literary events

Hanging scene

Chorus

Sung scenes

Versified passages

Foul language register

Parodic trial

Defecation on stage

Metamorphosis

Epilogue

Der Staupbesen

The Broom

Faust leads a destitute life as a scholar, until he lay hands on a book of black magic. He then sells his soul to the devil Mefistofeles, in exchange for services. Demons also appear to Kasper, whom Faust’s famulus – Wagner – has recently hired. But Kasper adamantly refuses to sell himself to the devil. Mefistofeles takes Faust and Kasper to Parma to lead a loose life. After living in luxury for twelve years, Faust is abandoned by Wagner, who disapproves of his way of life. Faust repents, but eventually gives in to carnal temptation when Mefistofeles presents him the fair Helen, whom he knew in Ancient Greece. Everyone rejects Faust. Kasper, now a night watchman, finds him out in the street within curfew hours and wants to throw him behind bars. But Faust’s final hour has come, and he is taken away by demons.