Housed in a disused
gothic chapel at the end of a shadowy dead end street, The Grand
Guignol is synonymous with the grotesque, the bizarre, and the
titillating. The success of each show was gauged by how many
spectators fainted at the sight of graphic violence on stage during
each performance.
From being under continuous police surveillance in the 1800s for
offenses against public decency to becoming a notorious
international tourist destination, the Grand Guignol shone a
spotlight on the horror and violence of modern life. It was a
direct influence on the splatter film genre and the onstage
theatrics of Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osborne, and a variety of other
shock performers.
This illustrated lecture will trace the history of the Grand
Guignol from its inception as an avant garde naturalist theatre to
its rise to international acclaim as the Temple of Anguish in
Paris. We will look at the most famous actors to grace the stage
and the stories they inflicted upon the public. We will look at the
magicians behind the scenes who brought the horror to life and the
theatre's longstanding influence, which is still felt to this
day.
Tickets £13.50 including a delightful gin cocktail and a 20% donation to Brompton Cemetery.
Madeleine LeDespencer
Madeleine LeDespencer is a visual artist and author with a particular interest in the French Decadents, Catholic Mysticism, Diabolism, and Spiritualism. She is the author of the documentary Theatre of Horrors: The Sordid story of Paris' Grand Guignol from Severin Films.
| Ticket | Event time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
|
The Theatre of Terror
Inside Paris’s Grand Guignol |
15:30 - 17:00 | £14.85 |
Address
Brompton Cemetery Chapel, North gate off Old Brompton Road, South gate off Fulham Road, London, SW5 9JE
Nearest Station
West Brompton (Tube)
Getting there
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