Table of Contents

SECTION 1

Chapter 1: A History of London’s Grand Guignol

Chapter 2: London’s Grand Guignol and Issues of Genre and Writing

Chapter 3: London’s Grand Guignol: Performers and Performing

Chapter 4: London’s Grand Guignol: Censorship and Reception

Chapter 5: London’s Grand Guignol and the Reviewers

Chapter 6: The Aftermath and Legacy of London’s Grand Guignol

SECTION 2

Ten Plays of London’s Grand Guignol

Eight O’Clock by Reginald Berkeley

A Man in Mary’s Room by Gladys Unger

Private Room Number 6 by André de Lorde

The Person Unknownby H. F. Maltby

Latitude 15°Southby Victor MacClure

The Old Women by Christopher Holland

The Nutcracker Suite by Eliot Crawshay-Williams

The Sisters’ Tragedy by Richard Hughes

The Better Half by Noël Coward

I Want To Go Home by H. F. Maltby

APPENDICES

Appendix 1 London’s Grand Guignol, 1920-22Appendix 2 The Complete Repertoire of London’s Grand Guignol, 1920-22

Appendix 3 Extract from Oh, Hell!!! A ‘Revuette’ by Reginald Arkell and Russell Thorndike

Bibliography

About the Author

Richard J. Hand is Professor of Drama at the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Glamorgan. Michael Wilson is Dean of the School of Media and Performance at University College, Falmouth. Together they have delivered workshops on Grand Guignol, and presented Grand Guignol performances at universities, international conferences and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Reviews

'...Richard J. Hand and Micheal 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.’ (TLS, 18. 04. 08)  “Altogether this is a well-researched book on a fascinating piece of theatre history."'
(Year’s Work in English Studies, vol. 89, no. 1, 2010)

‘...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)

'Altogether this is a well-researched book on a fascinating piece of theatre history.'
(Year’s Work in English Studies, vol. 89, no. 1, 2010)