Comédie-Française
France’s national theatre company, performing at the Salle Richelieu beside the Palais-Royal.
The Salle Richelieu is the historic home of the Comédie-Française, the only state theatre in France with a permanent troupe of actors. The hall sits at the corner of the Palais-Royal complex in central Paris and has hosted the company since 1799, making it the main stage for the French classical repertoire of Molière, Racine and Corneille alongside modern works.
Designed by Victor Louis and opened in 1790, the theatre was gutted by fire in 1900 and rebuilt within the same year behind its surviving walls. Its horseshoe-shaped auditorium seats around 860 people, and the building displays a notable collection of portraits and sculpture, including the armchair Molière is said to have used in his final performance.
Highlights
- Horseshoe auditorium in red and gold
- Molière's armchair on display
- Grand staircase and Houdon's statue of Voltaire in the foyer
- Next to the Palais-Royal gardens
