Theaters

As normal parents whose children are on vacation at their Grandparents’, we are rushing to the theater or cinema, as soon as we are alone in Paris.

So, as we had family visiting us, we went out to see a show at the point virgule, a very tiny theater of 110 seats located in the gay district of Paris, just nearby the City Hall.

In you want to spend a funny evening while enjoying new performers, that’s a place to go.

In this theater, you can see future comic stars of the french scene, like Walter we saw taht night for his first show, and who is now on Europe 1, a famous french radio.

You have between 4 and 5 artists by night and the shows lasts around 1 hour. You can of course check the program on their website.

By the way, after the spectacle, do not hesitate to go and eat at Sancho (check out the article.)

Most visitors to Paris are keen to see at least one or two historical monuments during their stay and whenever I have friends in town L’Opéra Garnier is one of my favourite spots to take them. I was lucky enough to see a ballet here once but most of the time tickets sell out very fast and there are very few affordable seats. However, you don’t have to see a performance here to get to see inside this beautiful building. The opera house is also open to visits from the public, you still get a feel for the glamorous atmosphere and you never know, you might see the phantom too!

You can visit on your own or, if you’d like a bit of extra information about this gorgeous building, guided visits in English are also on offer. Check the times on the website to find out more as timings vary depending on performance schedules. Tickets that include a tour are a bit more expensive but the tours are thorough, they last around 90 minutes and it’s really interesting to find out all about the opera’s history and architecture.

Le Théâtre du Rond-Point is a public theater which lies in the middle of the Eight district, at the angle of the Avenue du Président Roosevelt and avenue des Champs-Elysées. And as it is a public theater, the prices of the seats are very cheap compared to the private theaters like the Théâtre Marigny.

It is a perfect spot to go and see a play if you have walked the Champs-Elysees all day long and tried the ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde (normally, when it is Christmas time), where the famous obelisk lies that Napoleon brought back from Egypt.

The Director of this theater is a french writer and humorist, Jean-Michel Ribes, who started his career on French television, more than 25 years ago. His style is a bit like Monty Python, and in general, this theater presents a really original program, which tends to honor the french or foreign authors specialized in “nonsense” or absurd.

I hope you’ll enjoy assisting at a performance. 

Whether to have a rest on one of the reclining chairs or wandering along the old-fashioned stores of its arcades, the gardens of the Palais-Royal (see the Palais-Royal gardens article) is one of the best chilling place in Paris.

But the immediate neighborhood of the garden should not be neglected: the rectangle formed by Rues Montpensier, Beaujolais, Valois, and Place du Palais-Royal and Place Colette contains notable curiosities.

Starting at Place Colette, with the famous theatre La Comédie Française, enjoy the Kiosque des Noctambules, the most original métro station entrance, made in 2000 by Jean-Michel Othoniel to celebrate the centenary of Paris’s underground (see the background of the picture).

In low-trafficked Rue de Montpensier, you’ll find elegant and trendy restaurants or bars, most of which are located in cellars below streetlevel. Several short but elegant covered arcades, like Potier or Beaujolais connect this island of quietness to the busier Rue de Richelieu. But the most interesting spot, just at the angle of Montpensier and Beaujolais streets, is without a doubt the beautiful Théâtre du Palais-Royal, with its outdoor metallic stairs.

Rue de Beaujolais, reminding a French wine region, is full of small wine restaurants, and Le Grand Véfour (already inside the ceint of Palais-Royal buildings) is one of the smartest and most famous.

Rue de Valois has less interesting things, except the original and bourgeoise Place de Valois, and the interesting view on the office of the Minister of Culture.

Back to Place du Palais-Royal, the busiest square around, with its skaters and roller addicts…

Théâtre National de la Colline is an important Parisian theatre. It is situated in the 20th arrondissement, founded in 1951 (today’s building opened in 1983) to decentralize theatre life and to create one relevant place for the theatre creation of the plays from the end of the 19th century till our days.

It is a National theatre meaning that it is funded by the state/ministry of culture (with only 4 other theatres in the country), it’s openly leftist with a diverse and well thought-out repertoire. At the moment the shows on the repertoire are: “The Master builder” written by Henrik Ibsen and directed by Alan Françon in the main theatre and in the small theatre “Yukonstyler” written by Sarah Berthiaume and directed by Célie Pautche.

This is a literature based theatre that doesn’t neglect quality acting, so if you don’t understand French it’s still worth visiting. Though you shouldn’t expect experimental theatre here. From the season 2009/10 there are some performances with English subtitles.

The present general director Stéphane Braunschweig defined his program as the one which will promote contemporary plays and openness to its public. There are often lectures, public reunions, thematic workshops and discussions with artists.

Except interesting theatrical program, Theatre National de la Colline is an architecturally powerful site, appearing around the corner in a small street where you wouldn’t expect big modernistic theatre hall.

If you are younger than 30 years or a student, the ticket price of € 13 is also inviting (in Parisian terms).