The Théâtre du Grand-Guignol in Paris (1897-1962) achieved a legendary reputation as the 'Theatre of Horror,' a venue displaying such explicit violence and blood-curdling terror that a resident doctor was employed to treat the numerous spectators who fainted each night. Indeed, the phrase 'grand guignol' has entered the language to describe any display of sensational horror.
Since the theatre closed its doors forty years ago, the genre has been overlooked by critics and theatre historians. This book reconsiders the importance and influence of the Grand-Guignol within its social, cultural and historical contexts, and is the first attempt at a major evaluation of the genre as performance. It gives full consideration to practical applications and to the challenges presented to the actor and director.
The book also includes oustanding new translations by the authors of ten Grand-Guignol plays, none of which have been previously available in English. The presentation of these plays in English for the first time is an implicit demand for a total reappraisal of the grand-guignol genre, not least for the unexpected inclusion of two very funny comedies.
Mike Wilson is Professor of Drama at the University of Glamorgan. He is author of Performance and Practice: Oral Narrative Traditions among Teenagers in Britain and Ireland (Ashgate, 1997). Richard Hand is a Principal Lecturer in Drama at the University of Glamorgan. He is also assistant editor and translator of Naturalism and Symbolism in European Theatre, 1850 - 1918(CUP, 1996).
Product Details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: University of Exeter Press (October 1, 2002)
This review is from: Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror (University of Exeter Press - Exeter Performance Studies) (Paperback)
In researching the genre, I was pointed to this book in several references. Although the wealth of full scripts is a plus, the scholarly portion relies too frequently on other sources (end notes galore) to be of any first-hand value. The authors cite Gordon's "Grand Guignol" with frequency...however, not frequent enough for me to shell out the ninety bucks it's going for these days!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
