Guignol Et Le Concours De Coups De Bâton - Théâtre La Maison De Guignol, Lyon

A living Lyonnais tradition at THEATRE LA MAISON DE GUIGNOL

At THEATRE LA MAISON DE GUIGNOL, we are delighted to welcome audiences for Guignol et le concours de coups de bâton, a sparkling tribute to Lyon’s most mischievous hero and the timeless energy of hand-crafted puppetry. As a house built around proximity and precision, our venue magnifies every rustle of the curtain, every witty aside, and every percussive snap of the famous bâton that has defined Guignol’s brand of slapstick for generations. In this new adventure, the baton becomes a playful engine of rhythm and rivalry, turning a contest into a carnival of timing, repartee, and quick-witted reversals. Families and curious theatergoers sit within arm’s reach of the miniature world: hand-painted flats evoke neighborhood streets, a market stall, and the little corners of Lyon where Guignol forever finds another scrape. Our stagecraft is deliberately intimate—warm light, vivid colors, and the crisp acoustics of wood and cloth—so the smallest gesture reads large, and the laughter curves from the front row to the back with ease. Expect the familiar faces that give this repertoire its heartbeat: the steadfast Madelon, the convivial Gnafron, and those officious foils who never quite keep pace with Guignol’s agility. Our puppeteers lean into the musicality of the piece—percussive cues, jaunty interludes, and breathless chases—shaping a show that feels both classic and freshly minted. Faithful to tradition but tuned to the present, Guignol et le concours de coups de bâton brings out the best of our house: clarity, craftsmanship, and a shared wink between stage and audience that is unmistakably Lyonnais.

Guignol et le concours de coups de bâton on our stage

From our vantage point, this production captures the living pulse of the Guignol repertoire: nimble language, physical comedy with a moral sting, and a hero who defends the little person with comic cunning rather than brute force. On the stage of THEATRE LA MAISON DE GUIGNOL, the contest at the heart of the story becomes a showcase for tempo and invention. The bâton is never mere clatter; it is choreography—beats that punctuate jokes, reset the stakes, and send the action ricocheting through scene after scene. Our team emphasizes crisp sightlines and close-up detail so the audience can relish not only the whip-quick dialogue but the finesse of manipulation: fingers that flutter in exasperation, a hat tipped just so, a glance that turns a reprimand into a punchline. Around this centerpiece, the artistic activity of our Guignol creators is buzzing. Season after season, they expand the repertoire with new skits that braid topical threads into the familiar weave of neighborhood squabbles, resourceful trickery, and benevolent rebellion. They refine classic scenes with a contemporary ear, enriching the play of rhythms, sharpening the wordplay, and calibrating the musical underscoring to keep the pace buoyant for today’s families. Here, a modern wink slips into a centuries-old cadence; there, a sly update lands without disturbing the fabric of tradition. That is precisely what we cherish hosting: a theatre of precision and generosity, where young spectators discover the delight of collective laughter and long-time aficionados recognize the sly craftsmanship that keeps Guignol forever new. Guignol et le concours de coups de bâton, presented in our house, celebrates that enduring alchemy—street-smart humor, artisanal beauty, and the intimate thrill of live performance that only THEATRE LA MAISON DE GUIGNOL can distill so closely and so well.