Antoine Watteau Theatre (Nogent-sur-Marne, France)

Théâtre Antoine Watteau is a performance venue in Nogent-sur-Marne, a small town on the Marne river just east of Paris. The theatre is named after the painter Antoine Watteau, who died in Nogent-sur-Marne in 1721; the current name was adopted in 2021, on the 300th anniversary of his death, following a unanimous vote by the town council. Before that, the venue was known as La Scène Watteau.

What kind of theatre is it?

Théâtre Antoine Watteau holds the French label "scène conventionnée d'intérêt national" in the category art, childhood and youth, a designation given to cultural venues that play a significant role in programming aimed at young audiences. The theatre is funded by the city of Nogent-sur-Marne and run jointly with the nearby Pavillon Baltard under a single public management body, the Régie personnalisée Scène Watteau-Pavillon Baltard. This shared structure lets the two venues pool organisational resources and part of their programme.

The building houses two auditoriums: a main hall seating 490 and a smaller one seating 110. Having two spaces of different sizes allows the theatre to run several productions in parallel or to match the scale of a show to its format — an intimate performance for children in the small hall, a larger production or concert in the main one.

What will you see there?

The programme is multidisciplinary. Alongside conventional theatre, the schedule regularly includes contemporary circus, shows aimed at children and teenagers, and concerts. The venue combines three roles: hosting touring productions, co-producing new shows, and running educational and outreach activities for the local community, including workshops and meetings with artists.

Because of the two differently sized halls, the weekly programme can vary considerably — from intimate formats for the youngest spectators to larger productions aimed at a broader audience.

How do you get to Théâtre Antoine Watteau?

Nogent-sur-Marne sits just beyond the eastern edge of Paris and is well connected to the city centre by the RER A line — the Nogent-sur-Marne station is in town, and the theatre is a short walk from there into the town centre. That makes an evening at the theatre easy to combine with a day spent in Paris, without needing to stay overnight locally.

When should you visit?

The French theatre season traditionally runs from September to June, with a break over the summer holidays; this is when the programme is at its fullest, and shows for children and teenagers often line up with school breaks. It's worth checking the current schedule before visiting, since the offering changes from week to week and includes both single evenings and short runs of performances.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the theatre's name come from? From the painter Antoine Watteau, who died in Nogent-sur-Marne in 1721. The current name was adopted in 2021, marking the 300th anniversary of his death; the venue was previously called La Scène Watteau.

How many halls does the theatre have, and how big are they? Two: a main hall with 490 seats and a smaller one with 110 seats, allowing the space to be matched to the scale of each event.

What kind of programme does the theatre run? A multidisciplinary one — theatre, contemporary circus, shows for children and teenagers, and concerts, alongside educational activities and co-productions.

What's the best way to get there from Paris? Take the RER A line to Nogent-sur-Marne station, then walk a short distance into the town centre.