Manuscript
23 pages
La Case de la sorcière
The manuscript of the play is kept in the Fonds Léopold Dor in the Musée des Arts de la Marionnette-Musée Gadagne in Lyon. It was bought by Léopold Dor in 1927. A comment on the manuscript by its previous owner – Durafour – indicates: “Old play. Only one man, called Tertillon, performed it. He was specialised in Fééries and played them very well. He performed in Saint-Étienne, but he played for a long time at the Caveau de la Place des Célestins (Lyon).”
The following indication is given on the last page: “Théâtre Guignol Lyonnais, Eugène Pierrot, theatre director. Lyon.”
A man and his valet free a woman from an enchanter
The enchanter Merlin captured Marie – the young woman loved by the painter Arthur. To free her, Arthur and his valet Guignol go through many adventures. Merlin comes into Arthur’s workshop so that he draws his portrait. Guignol also tries to paint Merlin’s portrait, but he fights with the painting, which keeps transforming because of the enchanter’s spells.
Arthur then visits Merlin thanks to a gift from Marie’s godmother – the Fée Merveilleuse (Marvellous Fairy): a talisman that makes him invisible. Only Marie can see him. She advises him to go to the Sorcière’s hut (the Witch’s hut), which he does with Guignol.
At the Sorcière’s hut, they meet the madman Richepance – her assistant. The Sorcière welcomes Arthur while Guignol is mistreated for a long time by the furniture of the house which keeps playing with him.
Arthur and Guignol can finally save Marie. But she is under a spell by Merlin that makes her look very old. Arthur still wishes to free and marry her, but Marie believes that it would be too great a sacrifice for him to marry an old woman. Merlin is jubilant at the sight of the torn couple. The Fée Merveilleuse is moved by Arthur’s devotion. She sets Marie free from the spell and restores her true appearance. The lovers can finally marry, and Merlin is defeated.