Next show: coming soon!
Please note that the plays presented contain graphic violence which some may find upsetting. Unsuitable for those under the age of 18.
Welcome to the home of Le Nouveau Guignol. We are a repatory theatre company based in London, committed to reviving the rarely-performed plays of the Parisian Theatre du Grand-Guignol and to staging new work in the same genre. Launched by Rachel Ryder ("a small fearsome woman in large fearsome heels!") in 2010, Le Nouveau Guignol have enjoyed sell-out shows at The Old Red Lion Theatre before making a move to The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton, in June 2011.
We are committed to high production standards and pride ourselves on following the same core values as the original Grand-Guignol theatre; our ensemble is committed to pushing boundaries, encouraging emerging talent and above all, giving our audience plays whose effects and atmosphere as realistic as they can possibly be.
Latest news...
Next Nouveau Guignol production coming soon!
LNG are currently planning their next show; as usual we hope to present three plays (two horror plays and a comedy) and are currently deciding which scripts we'd like to use... from the classic Final Kiss, the the romp of Tics and the weird Kiss of Blood to some new scripts we are considering, there's a lot to choose from, as well as the excitement of moving to a brand-new venue. Watch this space for further news - and if there is any Grand-Guignol play that you'd particularly like to see, please let us know!
The Orgy in the Lighthouse... and Other Dark Tales
LNG are now rehearsing in earnest for their winter run at The Courtyard. We have moved our rehearsal space to The Others, a spacious venue in north London's Stoke Newington and have welcomed several new faces to our company including actors Jasmine Desmond, Rochelle Parry, Michael Hanratty, George Lamptey, Jack Badley and Meriel Rosenkranz and directors Rupert Holloway and James Tobias. We also welcome our lovely new Deputy Stage Manager Christina Nunes and after working as an assistant on several productions, Goshka Topolska takes her (well-earned!) place as Head of Special Effects!
Nouveau Guignol to take part in the very first London Horror Festival!
Nouveau Guignol were delighted when their friends and colleagues at Theatre of the Damned asked if they would like to be part of the first-ever London Horror Festival... and even more delighted when they found out that it would be held over 5 weeks at their very own "home" theatre, The Courtyard, Hoxton! The horror festival aims to bring together all different kinds of horror fayre... from the paranormal to the most strict naturalism, from stage to screen and from the purely psychological to throwing pints of blood around - and LNG have been invited to be a part of it! LNG plan to take three exciting pieces of Guignol theatre to The Courtyard from 22-27 November 2011; not only are we taking a hilarious comedy, but we're also bringing horror fans a brand-new piece of Guignol writing, plus a classic 1958 play from the original Theatre du Grand-Guignol which has never been seen on the British stage. More details to follow! In the meantime check out the London Horror Festival website for more details... www.londonhorrorfestival.com
Nouveau Guignol patron to star at Royal Shakespeare Company... again!
Everyone at Le Nouveau Guignol was delighted to hear that following a critically-acclaimed season playing Macbeth with the Royal Shakespeare Company, our much-loved patron Jonathan Slinger has been invited back to the RSC next year to play Prospero and Malvolio. Jonathan is an intrinsic and invaluable part of life at LNG, always finding time in his hectic schedule to offer advice, support and encouragement; we wouldn't be where we are without him and want to wish him all the luck in the world! You can still catch Jonathan in Macbeth and as the menacing pimp Lenny in Pinter's dark classic The Homecoming by booking your tickets at: www.rsc.org.uk
27 June show... the results!
LNG had their first show at The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton last night and loved every bloody minute of it! The crowd were certainly in the mood to be soaked with blood, we enjoyed our spacious new stage and dressing rooms and made plans for our future over well-deserved drinks afterwards. We also discovered, courtesy of our friends Theatre of the Damned, that it LNG's show last night was the first time that both The Lighthouse Keepers and I Want To Go Home have been performed on British soil since the original English Grand Guignol Theatre closed its doors over 80 years ago. History in the making!
Unfortunately, in the general rush to get the show on, we forgot to credit a few important people in the programme, the first being our wonderfully talented Lee Ravitz, who gave a truly hilarious performance as Mr. Field in the period comedy I Want To Go Home. We would then like to add that Dan Carall Green was the fight director for Eating For Two and Caroline McClean the sound designer for The Lighthouse Keepers. Sorry chaps, it was not intentional!
Le Nouveau Guignol move to The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton!
After a successful six-month residency at The Old Red Lion, Islington, Le Nouveau Guignol have been invited to a new home at The Courtyard Theatre, Hoxton. LNG will play their first date at The Courtyard on 27 June 2011 with the usual mixture of classic Guignol plays and new writing in the newly-refurbished 80-seater Studio space.
Having got a feel for the Studio, our directors agreed that it is a perfect space for Guignol theatre - small, dark and claustrophobic! The company are hugely positive about the move to a new venue, as the Courtyard provides more seating, spacious backstage facilities and the chance to mix with the other companies who will be using the main house space, not to mention a move from a pub theatre to a venue completely dedicated to the performing arts! Tickets for the first Courtyard show will be on sale soon - watch this space for details! In the meantime, you can keep up with all of our rehearsal gossip and goings-on at: http://twitter.com/nouveauguignol
Meanwhile, our patron Jonathan has been cooking up a storm as the Royal Shakespeare Company's season gets underway in Stratford-Upon-Avon; critics have described his performance in the title role of Macbeth as "psychotic" and "horribly compelling." (has he been watching The Final Kiss, by any chance?!) If you can't make it to Stratford to catch his superlative performance then don't worry - it transfers to London in the Autumn!
May's actors and plays chosen!
After a resounding success on 21st March with "Femme Fatales & Wayward Wives", Le Nouveau Guignol bids a temporary goodbye to Alex Metaxa, Roseanna Frascona, Kate Nichols and Steve Blacker. All are going to pastures new and we hope that they will return at some point in the future to portray new Guignol characters!
On a more happy note, we welcome Will Maynard and Pete Brammer Smith to our ranks as directors (look out for their work in May's show!) and we also welcome back Sarah Strong, James Sanderson and Kate Farrow, all of whom return to reprise roles in which you've seen them - and loved them!
We would also like to say hello and welcome to our new backstage team! Nouveau Guignol is expanding at quite a rate, and in order to keep up, we now have a new Props Manager (Emma Byrne), and a new Costume Mistress (Michelle Cox) to join Louise Hoare and her team in creating what you see onstage. Sarah Strong will join the team as Stage Manager after May's production.
Nouveau Guignol patron to play Macbeth with RSC!
The patron of Le Nouveau Guignol, acclaimed actor Jonathan Slinger, will play Macbeth with the Royal Shakespeare Company in their 2011 season. This is the company's 50th anniversary season and the ensemble this year will also include Patrick Stewart, starring as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Macbeth will be the first play to be performed in the newly-renovated Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
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