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

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.

France

Paris

Manuscript

Society Theatre

Tragedy

Greek mythology

Comédie Française

Social Conversation

Parodistic

French

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.

Rod and string marionette

Relationship between Christians and Muslims

Tunisia

Corsair

Slavery

Treason

Renegade

Harassment

Minor news

Agriculture

Censorship

Dramatic

Actor

Polichinelle

The Interpreter

Soldier

Pierrot

Messenger

Swiss

Leandre

Pantaloon

Arlecchino

Masked characters

Avista

Prologue

Comical foreign accent

Dialogue with a character in the audience

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

Wiltrud and Scohlint, the bad witches, make Princess Röslein (or Dornröslein, “Thorn Flower”) fall asleep, along with the whole court of King Purpur and of Queen Hermelin, by pricking her finger on a distaff when she turns fifteen. The fairy Sconea mitigates the curse by promising that it will turn into a blessing. Years later, the knight Minnamunt finds the bewitched castle, defeats the giant Schlafdorn (“Sleeping Thorn”) who was guarding the gates and wakes the princess and her court.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Romanticism

Poetry

Sorcery

Philosophy

Childhood

Adult

Nature

Mechanization

Heroism

Sleep

Shakespeare

Fantasy

Humorous

Illustration by Franz von Pocci for the original edition of the play

German

Prince

Poet

Valet

Fairy

Old woman

Herald

Giant

Metatheatre

Monologue

Apparition

Versified passages

Address to the public

Word for another

Dialogue of the deaf

Talking animal

Fight

Transforming scenery

Dornröslein

Sleeping Beauty

Nigot (Simpleton), M. Pigetout (literally, Mr Understands-Everything) and M. Machin (Mr Thing) are having lunch together and waiting for M. X…, the author who is supposed to bring the manuscript. However, when M. X… arrives, he is forbidden to enter. Later, M. Forfrais [play on words between “forfait” (flat rate) and “frais” (cost/fee)] , the treasurer, and M. Machin, director of the theatre, have a meeting during which they count the money they made from the performances. M. Machin needs a great sum of money to stage the performance with the leading actor M. Chose (Mr Stuff). Shortly after, M. Chose arrives and asks M. Forfrais for ten thousand francs; the latter tells him that the performance he was hired for has been cancelled and offers to buy his royalties. Then, M. X… visits M. Forfrais and asks for an advance on his royalties. M. Forfrais also suggests for him to drop his share of royalties and tickets for a hundred francs. The young author signs the agreement. M. Chose wishes to modify the play so that his character is constantly on stage; M. Pigetout decides to write to M. X… and asks him to rewrite the play. The play is very successful, but when M. Chose mentions the producers of the performance, he omits the author, who was not even able to see the performance.

Glove-puppet

Lemercier de Neuville Louis

Meals

Playwright

Stardom

Show

Money

Manipulation

Theatre

Satirical

Lemercier de Neuville, I Pupazzi. Front cover of the first edition, 1866.

Director of the theatre

Author

Artist

Technician

Treasurer

Servant

Child

Passer-by

Audience

Situation comedy

Aside

Le Vrai Bonhomme

The Real Man

M. Prudhomme visits Madame Benoiton and asks for her youngest daughter’s hand for his son. At first, Madame Benoiton mistakes him for a merchant. Once his identity cleared up, Madame Benoiton suggests for them to talk and to get to know each other. During their conversation, she questions him on famous personalities and authors such as Victorien Sardou, Poquelin, Dumas fils, Octave Feuillet, Émile de Girardin, Ponson du Terrail and Timothée Trimm. The conversation, now light and mundane, is punctuated by dances: Madame Benoiton seems charmed by M. Prudhomme, thanks to his manners and his answers. M. Prudhomme does his best to give a good impression and assures that “like father like son”. The conversation continues with lots of compliments and mutual gallant remarks. In the end, they agree to the wedding. However, as he is about to leave, M. Prudhomme’s aside reveals that none of what he said is what he really thought.

Discussions

Bourgeoisie

Wedding

Current events

Life of the theatres

Lemercier de Neuville, illustration for Les Fourberies de M. Prudhomme, 1868.

Bourgeois

Monsieur Prudhomme

Woman of the bourgeoisie

Sung scenes

Music

False exit

Les Fourberies de M. Prudhomme

M. Prudhomme’s Trickeries

Surprised by a downpour, Prince Alfred and his companion von Edelfels take refuge in Casperl’s household while Grethl waits for her husband to return from the inn. Casperl arrives in a very drunken state and immediately falls asleep. The prince, who had retired with von Edelfels to a nearby hovel, has an idea for a joke. He has the sleeping Casperl taken to a luxurious room, where he is treated with full honours. Soon Casperl does not know whether he is Casperl or Prince Schnuri... Pretending to be his doctor, Prince Alfred gives him a sleeping pill, and Casperl wakes up a few hours later in his old room. Von Edelfels, disguised as a magician, assures him that he is indeed Prince Schnuri, but that as a punishment for being a drunkard he has been turnt into a ‘dumb man’. Casperl finds Grethl and promises to make amends, all while announcing that he will drink many more litres of beer.

Excessive drinking

Household

Rain

Joke

Aristocracy

Luxury

Sausage

Metempsychosis

Black

Doctor

Magic

Otto von Bismarck

Tavern

Moralische Komödie in drei Aufzügen

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Moorish

Off-stage voice

Spying scene

Parody of formal language

Cross-dressing

Brawl

Pyrotechnics

Board

Incognito

Casperl als Prinz

Casperl prince

Casperl inherits money from his neighbor Frau Bas, who recently died: it's a fortune. He passes a miserable evening, tormented by the idea that people are plotting to steal his money. He even cries out about a fire. The next day, Grethel buys the latest style of toilet, hires a cook… Casperl goes out to drink at the tavern with his friend, the hunter Tomerl. However, when he returns, the notary Stahlfeder is there to announce to the cleaners that Madame Casperl's purchases and the settling of debts with the tavern have exhausted the fortune of Frau Bas—there is nearly nothing left. Casperl throws out the notary and police chief Schnuffler, who came with a fine for nighttime disturbances. He then scarfs down a plate of Knödel that his cook prepared while declaring that he doesn't need money as long as he keeps his good spirits.