Théâtre des Marionnettes, the Luxembourg Gardens Guignol since 1933

The Théâtre des Marionnettes in the Luxembourg Gardens opened in 1933 in the Senate gardens, off rue Guynemer. Robert Desarthis, son of a toy dealer who specialised in glove puppets, won the concession for the theatre at auction that year and ran it. He had founded his first company, the Théâtre Guignolia, in 1930.

To rebuild the theatre, the choice fell on Marcel Temporal, architect and puppeteer. Beneath the trees of the Luxembourg, Guignol became a fixture for the children of the Left Bank, and Robert Desarthis ran the theatre until his death in 1993.

His son, Francis-Claude Desarthis, succeeded him: he now runs the theatre while remaining author, adapter, performer and director. The house has remained in the family, and in 2023 it marked ninety years of performances in the gardens.

In the heart of the Luxembourg Gardens, in the 6th arrondissement, the little theatre welcomes families to Guignol and puppet shows, mainly on Wednesdays, at weekends and during the school holidays.