Page 336 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

334  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

Theatre

From the grandeur of the Comédie Française to slapstick farce venues include the Bouffes
and avant-garde drama, theatre is flourishing in Paris and the Parisiens, Théâtre La Bruyère,
suburbs – the training ground for the best young actors and the Michel and the St-Georges.
directors. The city also has a long tradi tion of playing host to The Théâtre du Gymnase
presents popular one-man
visiting companies, and it attracts many foreign productions, comedy shows.
often in the original languages.
There are theatres scattered throughout the city and the Café-Theatres and
theatre season runs from September to July; national theatres Chansonniers
close during August but many commercial ones stay open. There is a long tradition of
For complete listings of what’s on read Pariscope or L’Officiel entertainment in cafés, but
des Spectacles (see p332). the café-theatres of today
have nothing in common with
the “café-concerts” of the late
National Theatres
experi mental and contemporary 19th century. These modern
Founded in 1680 by royal decree, theatre, lively dance productions entertainments have originated
the Comédie Française (see and, occasion ally, musical revues. because young actors and new
p130), with its strict conventions The Théâtre National de la playwrights could not find work,
regarding the style of acting and Colline has two performance while drama students were
interpreta tion, is the bastion of spaces and specializes in unable to pay to hire established
French theatre. Its aim is to keep contemporary dramas. theatres. Don’t be surprised if
classical drama in the public eye there is an element of audience
and also to perform works by Further Afield participation, or alternatively, in
the best modern playwrights. small venues, if the actors can
Inextricably linked in the A thriving multi-theatre complex sometimes seem a little too
national consciousness to in the Bois de Vincennes, the close for comfort. This form of
Molière, the Comédie Française Cartoucherie houses five theatre is now so popular in Paris
is the oldest national theatre in separate avant-garde theatres, that one can often see posters
the world and one of the few including the internationally advertising classes for café-
institutions of France’s ancien famous Théâtre du Soleil. theatre or notices inviting
régime to have survived the people to join small troupes.
Revolution. It settled into its Café-theatres rose to
present home after players Independent Theatres prominence during the 1960s
occupied the Palais-Royal during Among the most important of and 70s, when unknowns such
the Revolution. The traditionally the serious independents are as Coluche, Gérard Depardieu
styled red velvet auditorium has the Comédie des Champs- and Miou-Miou made their
a vast stage equipped with the Elysées, the Théâtre Hébertot debut at the Café de la Gare
latest technology. and the Théâtre de l’Atelier, before going on to success on
The majority of the repertoire which aims to be experimental. the screen, so who knows who
is classical, dominated by Other notable venues include you might see at your local café.
Corneille, Racine and Molière, the Théâtre Marigny, for Good venues for seeing new
followed by second strings excellent modern French drama, talent include the Théâtre
Marivaux, Alfred de Musset and the Théâtre Montparnasse d’Edgar and Le Point Virgule,
Victor Hugo. The company also and the Théâtre Antoine, while Cabaret Michou is an old-
performs modern plays by which pioneered the use of fashioned spot that tends to
French and foreign playwrights. realism on stage. The Théâtre specialize in drag acts and
The Odéon Théâtre de de la Madeleine maintains broad caricature. Traditional
l’Europe, also known as the consistently high standards and chansonniers – cabarets where
Théâtre National de l’Odéon the Théâtre de la Huchette ballads, folk songs and humour
(see p142), was at one time the specializes in Ionesco plays. abound – include Au Lapin
second theatre of the Comédie The British director Peter Brook Agile (see p229), in Mont martre.
Française. It now has two sites has a loyal following at the Political satire is on offer at the
and specializes in performing Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord. Caveau de la République and
plays from other countries in For over a hundred years, the the Théâtre des 2 Anes, also in
their original languages. Next Théâtre du Palais-Royal has Montmartre. Another form of
door, the Petit Odéon is a studio been the temple of risqué farce. café entertainment that often
space specializing in new plays. With fewer French Feydeau- veers towards the theatrical is
The Théâtre National de style farce writers these days, the café-philosophique. These
Chaillot is a huge underground translations of British and are philosophical discussions or
auditorium in the Art Deco Palais American sex comedies are debates, held on topics such as
de Chaillot (see p202). It stages filling the gap. Other notable justice, war and love, in which

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