Théâtre d'Arras

Théâtre d'Arras is a historic Italian-style theatre at the heart of Arras, one of the few provincial French venues of its kind built in the last quarter of the 18th century. Standing on Place du Théâtre, on the former site of the town prison, it has remained a living cultural hub for over two centuries and today serves as the seat of a regional "scène nationale."

How did the theatre come to be built?

By the late 18th century, Arras's town councillors decided the city needed a proper theatre building — performances had until then been staged in the Jeu de Paume hall on rue du Blanc-Pignon, which could no longer keep up with growing audiences. They first approached Victor Louis, the celebrated architect behind Bordeaux's Grand Théâtre, but his design proved too ambitious and too costly for the town's budget. The commission went instead to local architect Adrien Gillet. Construction ran from 1784 to 1785, and the theatre opened quietly, without fanfare, on 30 November 1785.

A second building phase began in 1828 with the addition of a concert hall, which opened in 1832 — again without an official inauguration. The building's modern chapter began in 2006, when it was awarded the prestigious "scène nationale" label, becoming part of the Tandem Scène Nationale network shared with neighbouring Douai.

What will you see inside?

The interior is a textbook example of a théâtre à l'italienne — modest in scale but carefully proportioned. The elliptical main auditorium seats between 750 and 1,000 spectators and rises through three tiers of balconies decorated with painted motifs, supported on metal posts and divided into individual boxes. The Italian-style hall alone holds 380 seats, while the later concert hall adds 350 more. The façade is composed of a projecting central section flanked by two identical wings, giving the building the balanced, symmetrical look typical of theatre architecture from the period.

How do you visit?

The theatre opens its doors to visitors on the second Saturday of every month, outside French school holiday periods. The guided route runs from the stalls up to the topmost gallery (the poulailler), through corridors and passageways leading to the boxes. Along the way, visitors pause in the foyer before finishing in the interpretation rooms, which trace the building's history and the story of the theatre as an institution in an accessible way.

When should you go?

Outside the monthly guided visits, the theatre lives through its own programme of plays, concerts and events staged under the Tandem Scène Nationale banner. For visitors planning a purely tourist stop, the second Saturday of the month remains the most convenient date, offering a guided look behind the scenes and into the boxes — on other days, access to the interior is generally limited to those attending a ticketed performance.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the theatre without a ticket to a show? Yes — once a month, on the second Saturday (outside school holidays), the venue runs guided visits unrelated to the current programme.

How many people does the main hall seat? The Italian-style hall seats 380, and the whole building — including the concert hall — can hold between 750 and 1,000 spectators.

Who designed the building? The final design came from architect Adrien Gillet, after a more ambitious proposal from Victor Louis, the architect of Bordeaux's Grand Théâtre, proved too expensive.

What does "scène nationale" mean? It's a French label awarded to select cultural institutions of national standing — Théâtre d'Arras received it in 2006 and has operated as part of Tandem Scène Nationale ever since.