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.