Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Marigny Theatre came into being in 1835, when a physicist-prestidigitator set up his attractions in the Marigny Square, at the corner of Champs-Élysées and Marigny Avenues. After the Revolution of 1848, a small hall called "Château d'enfer" offers performances of " amusing physics" under the direction of Henri Lacaze and Denizard-Rivail. In 1855, Jacques Offenbach, seduced by the strategic location for the Universal Exhibition, founded the theatre of Les Bouffes-Parisiens, later renamed Buffes d ́été. Upon the expiry of its lease in 1859, the theatre became the Deburau theatre, successively directed by Charles Deburau and Céleste Mogador, before taking the name Folies-Marigny in 1865 under the leadership of the Montrouge couple.

In 1881, the theatre was demolished to give way to a panorama designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera. The latter hosts dioramas like Paris through the ages (1885) of Hoffbauer and Pichat. Turned into a rotunda theatre in 1894 by Édouard Niermans, it was directed by Abel Deval from 1910, then modernized in 1925 by Léon Volterra, who made it an Art Deco room of 1,200 seats. Under his direction, the theatre followed the successful operettas, such as Ciboulette (1926) by Reynaldo Hahn or Madame de Pompadour (1930).

In 1946, Simonne Volterra, Léon's widow, gave way to the company Renaud-Barrault, founded by Jean-Louis Barrault and Madeleine Renaud. The latter assembled classics (Hamlet, Le Misanthrope) and contemporary creations, while setting up a second room, Le Petit-Marigny, in 1954. Closed in 1962 for old age, the theatre reopened in 1966 under the direction of Elvire Popesco, which programmed comedy (La Locomotive) and musicals (A violin on the roof). In 1980, Jean Bodson undertook a major renovation, renamed the second room in tribute to Popesco.

The concession was awarded in 2000 to François Pinault's Artemis holding company, which entrusted the management to Robert Hossein, then to Pierre Lescure in 2008. After a closure for structural works in 2013, the theatre reopens in 2018 under the artistic direction of Jean-Luc Choplin, focused on musical theatre (Peau d'âne, Funny Girl). In 2022, Richard Caillat took over, followed by Michel Lumbroso in 2025. The building, owned by the City of Paris, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1990 for its hall.

Among the notable events are the death of playwright Ödön von Horváth in 1938, which was struck by a tree branch in front of the theatre, or the preview presentation of the Citroën DS in 1955. The theatre also hosted the show Au théâtre tonight (1966-1988) and several ceremonies of the Molières. Its architecture, marked by successive transformations (Garnier, Niermans, Grimaldi), mixes neo-pumpian heritage with modernity, while its programming reflects the evolution of Parisian tastes, from operatte to contemporary theatre.

Today, the Marigny theatre remains a major place in Parisian cultural life, combining architectural heritage and scenic innovation. Its renovated dome and its two rooms (including the Popesco room) make it a versatile space, between tradition and modernity, in the heart of the Champs-Élysées.

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