Guignol’s landlord – Vautour – complains about financial hardship, as his tenants do not pay the rent. He asks Guignol to settle the previous months of arrears, but Guignol ridicules him extensively and then refuses to pay. Gnafron helps Guignol get rid of Vautour. They both fear that Vautour will have Guignol’s furniture seized, and so they move it all before having a drink together.

Glove-puppet

Not specified

France

Lyon

Printed

Rent

Debt

Scatology

Furniture

Comical

Farcical

Le Déménagement de Guignol. Lyon: Elardin, 1876 (couverture).

French

arrangé par Louis Josserand

Guignol

Gnafron

Landlord

Monologue

Fight

Dialect as a social marker

Comic distortion of language

Trap

Misunderstanding

Final song

Le Déménagement de Guignol

Guignol’s Move

Two presenters (Tall Ringmaster and Blue Ringmaster) take turns announcing different acts. A variety of characters enter the scene while two clowns, Tuff and Cream, exchange jokes and riddles. In the second part, horsemen from around the world and from every era ride in one by one.

Toy theatre

Young audiences

Ireland

Strete

Circus

Parade

Joke

Show

Clown

Exoticism

English

Announcer

Horserider

Horse

Singer

Onct More's First Circus

Le Premier cirque d'Onct More

A policeman must arrest two criminals. Clown proposes to Pantaloon to accompany him fishing and boasts that they will need a large pan to cook all the fish he will catch. He thinks he caught a great prize but reels in only a cast iron pan. While Pantaloon mocks him, he insists that he did it on purpose. Pantaloon learns that Old Buffer is looking for a parrot and tries to sell him a talking parrot. When Old Buffer expresses his wish to eat it, Clown threatens to eat Old Buffer. The latter calls the police officer, who promises to help and hides to catch the scoundrels. Dude, a passerby, wants to know the time. Pantaloon advises him to not address the police officer since he is not himself. He shows him the time on a watch upon which the arrows are turning very rapidly. Harlequin and Columbine dance, and the police officer chases them since dancing is forbidden in the streets. A man hides in a letterbox, which troubles the mailman. This man is none other than Clown. The police officer notices Pantaloon and Clown, but he forgot his club at home; his family uses it to whisk the batter for birthday cakes. He decides to hide and to listen to them. All of the characters enter the scene to capture Pantaloon and Clown, who reveal themselves to be the two criminals being searched for.

Arrest

Fishing

Eating

Investigation

Policeman

Captain

Pantaloon

Arlecchino

Colombine

Postman

Hidden character

Arrest scene

Dance

The Wonderful Travellers or The Gamesome Princes and the Pursuing Policeman

Gnafron is crippled with debts. He leaves France for Morocco with Guignol, but they board on a military ship and so the both of them become soldiers. After realising what their new “job” is, they land in Morocco as sentries. While keeping watch, Gnafron and Guignol meet the Qaid’s daughter, Ziléna. Guignol falls in love with the beautiful Muslim woman before even having seen her face – since he needs her father’s permission to do so. Guignol suggests that Gnafron replaces the muezzin’s donkey. He argues that when Ahmed – the muezzin – sees that his donkey has been changed into a man, he will interpret it as a miracle and take Gnafron to the Qaid. Gnafron would then be able to plan Guignol’s arrival. Guignol’s plan works: Ahmed and the Qaid believe in a miracle. He wants to know why “the donkey” took the shape of a French soldier. Gnafron explains that, for a brief period of time, the donkey worked for the French. The Qaid asks Gnafron whether he remembers the French manoeuvres and if he could teach them to his soldiers. Gnafron becomes the general of the Moroccans. In the meantime, Guignol arrives at the palace dressed in Moroccan fashion. He reunites with Ziléma, who agrees to marry him. Guignol warns the Qaid that the Zouaves are close by. The Qaid is distressed as he cannot find his daughter Ziléma. Guignol assures him that she will reappear. The Qaid promises to make him “the greatest Mufti of Islam” if the miracle takes place. At this exact moment, Ziléma unveils her face. The Qaid is overwhelmed with joy, and Guignol takes advantage of his emotion to ask for his approval to marry Ziléma. The Qaid agrees and promises to give Gnafron “a big “negress” of Beaujolais” – one possible meaning of “negress” in French being a bottle. When the Zouaves reaches the town, Guignol introduces himself as the sultan of Casbach. He allows them to enter the town and tells the Qaid that it is a day to celebrate. Gnafron is the only unhappy character at the end, as he is given a real “negress” instead of a bottle of Beaujolais.