French Baroque Marionette Theatre

The history of the marionette in France
It wasn’t until the early 19th century that puppetry in France gained its own unique character. Poorly educated but with an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit, Laurent Mourguet made a living on the streets of Lyon by performing a host of odd jobs, including, if you can believe it, al fresco dentistry. At first, he attracted people to his stall and distracted them from his anesthetic-free procedures with puppet shows featuring Polichinelle, a Frenchification of the Commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella, who was also the inspiration for Punch of Punch and Judy.

His surprisingly effective tactic led Mourguet to develop his shows in 1808, introducing two new characters: the unshaven, red-nosed Gnafron, apparently based on his wine-loving friend Père Thomas, and the bug-eyed, button-nosed Guignol, modeled on his own appearance. The open expression and down-to-earth nature of the latter made him an instant hit with working-class audiences. Over the following years, in part thanks to Mourguet’s 16 children dispersing across France and taking their father’s most famous doll with them, Guignol cemented his place in French popular culture.

Contemporary French puppetry
In the middle of the 20th century, puppetry in France experienced a kind of revolution: the families who had been passing down this folk tradition for generations suddenly found themselves confronted by a new breed of marionettists who sought to raise the social status of the art form. This attempt at elevation was confirmed with the first World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières in 1961.

https://vimeo.com/149327238

There are notable troupes in practically every town in France and some have even garnered global attention in recent years. Royal de Luxe, which was founded in Aix-en-Provence in 1979 and moved to Nantes a decade later, is renowned for its storytelling on a vast scale. It tells stories that sometimes last several days and traverse entire cities, using 12-meter-high (almost 40 foot-long) marionettes, attracting astonishing crowds – as in November 2010, when 3.5 million people watched their contribution to the bicentennial celebrations of the Mexican War of Independence in Guadalajara.

https://vimeo.com/6340561

Learning the art of the marionette
The Institut International de la Marionette in Charleville-Mézières is dedicated to training, creation, and research in the field of puppetry. The first of these three priorities is delivered through its prestigious École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette (ESNAM). The only school in France of its kind, actor-puppeteers learn their craft here during a rigorous three-year degree, which places an emphasis on project-based teaching and an interdisciplinary approach to puppetry.
ESNAM also offers workshops and a research center for professionals, as well as an ongoing program of events for the public.