Michèle Guigon

Michèle Guigon, born on June 1, 1959, in Belfort, France, was a multifaceted French artist who died on September 4, 2014, in Paris due to cancer. She worked as a comedian, accordionist, humorist, author-composer, and stage director, demonstrating a wide range of creative talents throughout her career. From 1978 to 1985, she performed with Jérôme Deschamps, contributing to shows like 'Les Oubliettes' and 'La Veillée'. She also co-founded the Compagnie du Pâtit Matin with Anne Artigau in 1984.

Guigon’s work encompassed both writing and directing. She wrote and directed several spectacles, including 'États d'Amour' (1986), 'Marguerite Paradis ou l’Histoire de Tout le Monde' (1985), 'Strapontin' (1983), 'Piavodéon' (1991), 'La vie va où ?' (2008), and 'Pieds nus, traverser mon cœur' (2011). She also co-wrote 'Strapontin' with Anne Artigau. Her directorial credits include 'Femme non rééducable' (2010), 'Big Shoot' by Koffi Kwahulé (2009), 'Plouf!' (2005), and 'Une Seconde' (2004). She co-directed 'Il y a' with Anne Artigau in 1995, and 'Jungles' and 'Cocorico' with Susy Firth and Patrice Thibaud in 2011. Notably, she directed 'Les Chantefables' of Desnos with Anne Artigau in 1989.

‘Cocorico,’ a wordless comedy co-directed with Susy Firth and Patrice Thibaud, became one of Guigon’s best-known works, debuting in 2008 and proving to be a box-office success. The play, which lasts approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, features physical comedy and shadow-play, drawing inspiration from spaghetti westerns and the Tour de France. It highlights a 'Gallic battle of temperaments' between Patrice Thibaud and Philippe Leygnac, with Thibaud teasing Leygnac, who then joins in the antics. Marie Vincent designed the lighting, and Isabelle Beaudouin designed the costumes. She also appeared in theatrical productions such as 'Strapontin' (1984) and 'Sainte Carmen de Montréal' (1989), and films like 'L'Araignée de satin' (1986) and 'Sauve-toi, Lola' (1986). From 2013 to 2014, she was a chronicler for France Inter’s ‘On va tous y passer’ program. Her books 'La vie va où ?' and 'Pieds nus, traverser mon cœur' received posthumous 'Coup de cœur parole enregistrée et documents sonores' awards from the Académie Charles-Cros in 2018. A DVD of her performances was released in 2017. She had also expressed a desire to stage and direct a play called "Journal d’absence," but this project remained unfinished due to her death.