The Théâtre de la Ville at Place du Châtelet, built in 1862 by Gabriel Davioud as a twin theatre opposite the Théâtre du Châtelet, is one of the defining houses of contemporary Parisian theatre. Originally opened as the Théâtre Lyrique and later known as Théâtre des Nations and Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt, the house attained international recognition through the legendary directorship of Sarah Bernhardt from 1899 to 1923, who made the stage her principal performance venue. After complete interior redesign in the 1960s under Jean Mercure, the house became one of the most important venues for international guest theatre and dance. Pina Bausch, Peter Brook, Robert Wilson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Akram Khan have guested here regularly over decades. The house maintains alongside the main building at Châtelet also the Espace Pierre Cardin near the Champs-Élysées. Between 2016 and 2024 the main building was closed for major renovation; the reopening re-established the house as a centre of international stage art.
Sarah Bernhardt ran the house here for 24 years and performed on this stage until shortly before her death in 1923 — even after the amputation of her right leg in 1915, she continued performing, seated or with a prosthesis.
At a glance
- Type
- Multi-genre theatre
- Location
- Paris, France
- Address
- 2 Place du Châtelet, 75004
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