Performing Grand-Guignol

Reviews / Votes

From reviews of Grand-Guignol: The French Theatre of Horror (UEP, 2002)

'Richard J. Hand and Michael Wilson . . . manage in a number of telling ways to make the subject their own. . . . Hand and Wilson's main interest in Grand Guignol is . . . that of present-day theatre practitioners seeking to understand how these pieces might be able to work for fresh audiences. . . . they also prove themselves to be highly astute when it comes to examining these works in the light of contemporary (especially post-Freudian) critical theory. . . . performance practice is continually interrogated by critical and historical insight.' (Gothic Studies, August 2003)






'... the genre has left more of a mark on British and American culture than we may imagine.' (Gothic Studies, May 2004)






From reviews of London's Grand Guignol and the Theatre of Horror (UEP, 2007)

'...Richard J. Hand and Michael Wilson, who have previously written on the French Grand Guignol for this excellent series from the University of Exeter Press, now turn to the English variant...'

'...London's Grand Guignol is a fine introduction to a neglected corner of the twentieth-century arts world.' (Times Literary Supplement, 18 April 2008)






'...London's Grand Guignol allows Hand and Wilson to make a persuasive case for Grand Guignol's place not only in modern theatre history, but also in the film history of thrillers and horror films. This book will be useful as a hands-on theatre history and practice text for programs where one might imagine offering students an opportunity to apply their creativity to the same challenges Jose Levy faced.' (Theatre Survey, Vol. 50/2, November 2009)