The Paris Theatre Marigny in Jardins des Champs Elysees
The Theatre Marigny has been running for well over 150 years and this theatre in Paris is located in the Jardins des Champs Elysees, which is where you can enjoy lots of different shows and concerts, often with top named performers.
Start of this theatre in Paris
It all started back in 1835 when a conjurer and magician was awarded a concession by the city of Paris and started performing at the Square Marigny and then after the French Revolution in 1848 there became a small room constructed called the Salle Lacaze where fun performances were presented to the inquisitive.
However, it was under the direction of Jacques Offenbach that a theatre was constructed for the Universal Exhibition of 1855 and built in the same place as the original room, it opened its doors in the July of 1855.
Yet only a few years later it changed hands again and then became known as the Folies-Marigny, but the theatre was demolished in 1881 to make way for a even better theatre in Paris.
How the Theatre Marigny progressed
This new theatre was designed by Charles Garnier who was the architect for the Opera in Paris that was named after him, called the Palais Garnier.
Built in a circular shape with an elegant and impressive interior, the new Theatre Marigny was opened in 1885, still in the same location at the Jardins des Champs Elysees, and it was a success from the word go. However it became even more popular from 1910 under the leadership of Abel Deval and then later on Leon Volterra took over in the 1920s and had the space modernised and enlarged.
By post World War II, the Theatre Marigny had become a place of prestige and a flagship theatre in Paris showing many different successful performances and then in the 1950s an additional small room called the Petit Marigny was added.
The next few years saw a change of management a few times and by the late 1970s major renovations had taken place when Jean Bodson took over, and this second room was transformed into an additional small theatre.
And in fact, the television show called Au Theatre Ce Soir, which translates to Tonight at the Theatre, was hosted at this venue from the 1960s right through to the mid 1980s.
The Theatre Marigny today
The Marigny Theatre has the two different theatre rooms, one called the Marigny with a capacity of around 1000 people and the second called the Popesco, which was formerly called the Gabriel and this has a capacity of 300 people.
The smaller auditorium has a less formal atmosphere and is often utilised for solo performers such as comedians, but even today there are many famous names who perform here such as Jean Michel Jarre.
There is also the Bar du Theatre Marigny which opens its doors 45 minutes prior to the start of a performance and with a warm welcome you could opt for an aperitif, snack, club sandwich or a soft drink before you enjoy your evening.
Not forgetting of course, that this theatre is in one of the best locations to access after you have visited some of the other tourist attractions in Paris, along with enjoying the peace and tranquillity offered with the greenery and the fountains of the Champs Elysees gardens.
Visiting Theatre Marigny in Paris
The theatre is very easy to get to from the Avenue des Champs Elysees as it is located within its beautiful gardens where you can also discover the Michelin starred gourmet restaurant in Paris called Le Laurent along with the four fountains of the Jardins des Champs Elysees.
You may also be pleased to know that the entrance has a ramp for easy access for those with mobility problems and both the theatre rooms are accessible to the disabled, although it is always best to not only book in advance, but also via telephone so that you can advise the reception of your needs.
Also, the Marigny theatre in Paris has special concessions for people under the age of 26, where you can arrive on a Tuesday, Wednesday of Thursday around half hour prior to the start of a performance and with proof of ID showing your age, you can obtain a ticket for only €10 as of 2013. However, these are of course subject to availability of seats on the day.
The ticket office is located at the main entrance and is open from 11am through to 6.30pm on a Monday to Saturday, however, you can book via telephone during the same hours on +33 (0) 892 222 333, but calls are charges at €0.34 per minute, yet could be more if phoning from abroad or from a mobile phone.
Alternatively, you can also book in advance directly at their website, or via Fnac or Carrefour, but please do bear in mind that if your plans change whilst you are on holiday in Paris, then unfortunately any tickets purchased are non refundable.
We would like to point out that the Theatre Marigny opens 45 minutes to the start of a performance, yet it is forbidden to photograph, film or record in the auditorium and mobile phones must be switched off during a performance.
The nearest Metro station is called the Champs-Elysees - Clemenceau stop, however if you are travelling on the RER, then this is at the opposite end of the avenue by the Arc de Triomphe at the stop called the Charles de Gaulle - Etoile.
But there are also several buses in Paris that you get you close to the theatre including the numbers 24, 28, 42, 52, 63, 72, 73, 80, 83, 84, 93 and 94.
