Polichinelle tells his Compère (Companion) that he has come into a private income and wishes to host a ball, but Compère explains that this income will barely be enough to buy a candle. A Turk arrives and gives sumptuous Grand Turk clothes to Polichinelle as well as the key to his seraglio. Polichinelle joins the women of the seraglio, his Compère sings a song and the play ends with a group of shepherds and shepherdesses dancing.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

France

Paris

Manuscript

Enrichment

Foreigner

Ball

Money

Seraglio

Ballet

Comical

French

Polichinelle

The Interpreter

Turk

Sheperherdess

Change of social status

Final song

Dialogue with a character in the audience

Polichinelle Grand-Turc

Polichinelle Grand Turk

Atys (Attis) tells his cousin Sangaride that she is going to marry the prince Célénus (Celænus); then they both confess their love for each other. Having fallen in love with Atys, the goddess Cybèle (Cybele) declares her love to him in a dream. Believing that Atys is unfaithful, Sangaride agrees to marry Célénus. Atys opposes the marriage and flees with Sangaride. To punish Atys, Cybèle commands Esculape (Asclepius) and his apothecaries to drive him insane. Blinded by madness, Atys kills Sangaride. When he realises his crime, Atys begs Cybèle to bring Sangaride back to life, which she does, but changing the young woman into a hen, and Atys into a capon.

Fuzelier Louis

Printed

Opera

Love

Wedding

Jealousy

Revenge

Death

Death resurrected

Greek mythology

Capon

Grandparents

Ovid

Parodistic

La Grand-Mère amoureuse, frontispiece in Le Théâtre de la Foire ou l'Opéra comique, tome VIII, 1731.

Parodie d'Atys

Attis

Sangaride

Idas

Cybele

Rhea

Phrygian (man)

Priest

River

God of Sleep

Morpheus

Dreams

Asclepius

Apothecary

Phrygian (woman)

Tributaries

Stream

Instrumental tune

Metamorphosis

Love rivalry

Flying machine

Sung scenes

Dream

La Grand-Mère amoureuse

The Grand-Mother in love

Polichinelle discovers that the theaters have been demolished. He has ordered a carpenter to make him new puppets but has no play to perform. The author Flonflon asks to be paid in advance, and Polichinelle beats him. Then four spectators come to see Polichinelle. The Compère (stooge) advises him to present a very short play. Polichinelle announces that he has two plot ideas: the relocation of the Comédie-Italienne and the wedding of the fairy Carabosse with Polichinelle. The play ends with a dance and a farce.

Carolet Denis

Life of the theatres

Playwright

Spectator

Relocation

Fair

Satirical

Author

Nurse

Mitron

Maid

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Dance

Blow-with-a-stick

Bawdy equivocation

L'Impromptu de Polichinelle

The Impromptu of Polichinelle

A Marchande (female merchant), in love with an employee of the shop (the Courtaud (Shorty)), believes that he is interested in her daughter. A Servante (female servant) arouses the jealousy of a Laquais (male servant). A drunk Musicien (male Musician) tells a Suisse (Swiss man) that his wife is unfaithful to him. Polichinelle tries to seduce a Grisette (Shop girl), meets a Peintre (male painter) who wanted to paint his portrait, and then joins a Troupe de Buveurs (a Group of Drinkers): they dance a divertissement and sing a vaudeville at the end of the play.

Seduction

Unfaithfulness

Drunkenness

Wine

Cabaret

Valet

First page of the manuscript of Polichinelle à la guinguette de Vaugirard.

Merchant (woman)

Shop employee

Swiss

Musician

Grisette

Painter

Inn scene

Play with drawers

Comical foreign accent

Love story

Dancing entertainment

Conversation

Aria

Polichinelle à la guinguette de Vaugirard

Polichinelle at the guinguette of Vaugirard

The Reine des Sylphes (queen of the Sylphs) declares her love to Polichinelle. The latter is taken into her palace in the air and praised by a Suivante (lady-in-waiting), a Comédien (comedian), a Poète (poet) and a Musicien (musician). Each provides opportunities to mock Parisian people’s immorality and idiosyncrasies. The Reine joins Polichinelle: together, they attend a divertissement danced by the Sylphes (Sylphs), and the final vaudeville.

Germanic mythology

Fairy

Parisian life

Immorality

Fantasy

Manuscrit of Polichinelle roi des Sylphes (BnF, Ms Fr 9312).

Queen

Lady-in-waiting

Actor

Poet

Sylph

Invisible character

Off-stage voice

Polichinelle roi des Sylphes

Polichinelle king of the Sylphs

Pierrot has just arrived in the Underworld after being hanged. Pluton (Pluto) tasks him with judging newcomers. Pythagore (Pythagoras), a Poète (Poet), a Financier, a Coquette, an Actrice d’Opéra (Opera Actress) and a Médecin (Doctor) go before him. Each is put in an unexpected group (the comedians for Pythagore, the false witnesses for the Poète, the coach drivers for the financier, etc.).

Printed summary

Hell

Judge

Judgment

Rivalry of theatres

Swindling

Medicine

Manuscrit of Pierrot arbitre (BnF, Ms Fr 9313).

Pierrot

Pluto

Pythagoras

Financier

Coquette

Actress

Physician

Surprise effect

Pierrot arbitre

Pierrot arbitrator

A Soldat (soldier) wakes Polichinelle up: everyone is waiting for him to launch an attack on Philippsbourg. Cannons fires frighten Polichinelle, but a Vivandière (women sutlers or canteen keepers) brings him some eau de vie to comfort him. Pierrot, who was mistaken for a spy, is interrogated by a Sergent (Sergeant): he threatens to have him hanged. As he is being led into a trench, the town surrenders. The play ends with a divertissement and a vaudeville.

Fear

Military life

Manuscript of La Prise de Philisbourg, Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Soldier

Vivandière

Canteen worker

Sergeant

Trumpet (military man/woman)

Misunderstanding

Hanging scene

La Prise de Philisbourg

The Capture of Philisbourg

Polichinelle has enlisted as a soldier for six years. After arriving at the camp of the French army, outside Kehl, he is frightened and wants to go back to Paris. Sentenced to be hanged for deserting, he is pardoned because the garrison of the fortress has just surrendered.

Army

Deserter

Death penalty

Antimilitarism

Manuscrit of La Prise du fort de Kehl (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. fr. 9294)

Drum

General

La Prise du fort de Kehl

The Capture of the fortress of Kehl

Polichinelle and Pierrot, the survivors of a shipwreck which separated them from their troupe of comedians (made up in fact of other puppets), land on the Île des Fées (Isle of the Fairies). They are welcomed by a benevolent Fée (Fairy) who promises to help them: a Géant (Giant) will take them to Paris, where they are expected in their theatre. While Polichinelle runs to store wine in a cool place, Pierrot meets the Géant; he confirms that he is going to help them. The Fée makes a sumptuous feast appear for Pierrot, who is starving; she also introduces him to a young girl who wants to marry him. The Géant comes back to take Polichinelle, Pierrot and his new wife, and the whole troupe of puppets to Paris.

Fairy play

Giant

Journey

Shipwreck

Hunger

ou Le Géant aux marionnettes

Mother Gigogne

Young woman

Pantaloon

Versified passages

Apparition

L'Ile des fées

The Isle of the fairies

The Compère (Stooge) is looking forward to the next Polichinelle performance. But one of the actresses, Mademoiselle Godon, is not happy with her role and complains to the author Farinet. A quarrel begins between her sister Manon and their mother. Infuriated, Farinet leaves with his play, which he lends to another theatre. Polichinelle must therefore improvise an impromptu: in it, he plays the lover who abducts his mistress Lolotte, with her consent, to force her father Géronte to let them marry.

Theaters of the Parisian fairs

Argument

Kidnapping

Manuscript of La Pièce manquée et de L'Impromptu de Polichinelle (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms. fr. 9318).

Metatheatre

Prologue

La Pièce manquée et L'Impromptu de Polichinelle

The missed Play and Polichinelle's Impromptu