Théâtre d'Orléans

Théâtre d'Orléans is the main performing-arts venue of Orléans, the city on the Loire in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The complex brings together three auditoriums, several modular spaces and areas for the audience to gather, and is home to three resident institutions: the Scène nationale d'Orléans, the Centre Dramatique National Orléans/Centre-Val de Loire, and CADO (Centre national de création Orléans-Loiret).

Where is the theatre located?

The building sits on Boulevard Pierre Segelle, right in the city centre, between the ring of municipal boulevards and the bank of the Loire. That position makes it easy to combine a show with a riverside walk or a stroll through the old town, both just a few minutes away on foot.

What is the history behind it?

Until 1963, the city's theatre company performed inside the former Saint-Michel church, which had been converted for stage use under plans by architect Benoît Lebrun; the building had served that purpose since 1792. After it closed, the city spent over a decade building a replacement: the new venue, named Carré Saint-Vincent and paired with a cultural centre, opened to the public on 18 February 1975, following an official inauguration the day before led by Michel Guy, then Secretary of State for Culture under Jacques Chirac's government. At the outset it held two auditoriums, Antoine-Vitez and Touchard. A third hall, named after the actor Barrault, was added in 1994, at which point the whole complex took on the name it carries today, Théâtre d'Orléans, marking its status as a venue unusual in France for both the range of its spaces and the mix of disciplines on its stages.

What can you see inside?

Three auditoriums of different sizes make up the venue: the intimate Vitez hall (around 210 seats), the mid-sized Barrault hall (604 seats), and the largest, Touchard (906 seats). Alongside them are three modular spaces that can be reconfigured to suit a given production, plus four areas set aside for the audience to meet before and after performances. Programming is shared among the three resident institutions, so the bill covers dramatic theatre, contemporary dance, modern circus and music, often in forms that blend several disciplines within a single evening. Right by the main entrance, the Café du Théâtre serves as a bar and restaurant open not only to ticket holders but to anyone passing along the Loire who wants to sit down.

When is the best time to visit?

The artistic season runs from autumn to spring, with the busiest run of productions between October and May, when the three halls alternate between different titles. During that window the bill changes fairly quickly, so it is worth checking the current programme before travelling and booking ahead for the shows in highest demand. In summer the resident companies typically pause their programming, though the building and its café remain a fixture for people walking the boulevards.

Frequently asked questions

How many halls does Théâtre d'Orléans have? Three: Vitez (about 210 seats), Barrault (604 seats) and Touchard (906 seats), plus three modular spaces and four gathering areas.

Where exactly is the theatre located? On Boulevard Pierre Segelle in central Orléans, between the city's boulevards and the Loire.

Which institutions are based there? The Scène nationale d'Orléans, the Centre Dramatique National Orléans/Centre-Val de Loire, and CADO — the Centre national de création Orléans-Loiret.

Where does the current name come from? The building opened in 1975 as Carré Saint-Vincent; it took the name Théâtre d'Orléans after the third auditorium, Barrault, was added in 1994.