Comédie-Française — Molière's House, 3 minutes away

The Comédie-Française is the oldest permanent theatre troupe in the world. Founded by Louis XIV on 21 October 1680, it sits on Place Colette in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. Its main hall, the Salle Richelieu (architect Victor Louis, 1786-1790, ~862 seats), runs a repertoire mixing Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Beaumarchais and contemporary creations. A 3-minute walk from the You Rêve institute, 7 rue d'Argenteuil.

The House of Molière

The Comédie-Française is the oldest permanent theatre troupe in the world. It was founded by Louis XIV by letters patent of 21 October 1680, which merged into a single company the actors of the Hôtel de Bourgogne and those of the Théâtre Guénégaud — the troupe of Molière, the 17th-century French playwright who had died seven years earlier. The house is also called the "Théâtre-Français" and refers to itself as the "House of Molière".

The main hall, the Salle Richelieu, was designed by the architect Victor Louis. It was built between 1786 and 1790 on the east side of the Palais-Royal and seats around 862. The repertoire combines the classical pillars — Molière, Racine, Marivaux, Beaumarchais (author of The Marriage of Figaro) — with contemporary creations, making it one of the rare great theatre houses in continuous activity since the 17th century.

How to walk to the Comédie-Française from Paris 1st?

Three minutes on foot from 7 rue d'Argenteuil. Walk down to rue Saint-Honoré, turn left, reach Place du Palais-Royal, cross — and you arrive on Place Colette, with the theatre in front of you. By metro, Palais Royal — Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7), Place Colette exit. The exit opens directly onto the Kiosque des Noctambules, a metro-entrance sculpture installed in 2000 by Jean-Michel Othoniel — a useful landmark, and one of the most visible pieces of contemporary art in the neighbourhood.

Why is Molière's armchair on display at the Comédie-Française?

The most charged object in the house isn't a stage prop: it's an armchair. The one in which Molière collapsed on stage on 17 February 1673, during the fourth performance of Le Malade imaginaire (The Imaginary Invalid) — the irony being that he was playing Argan, the imaginary patient. He managed to hold on until the end of the play, walked home to his rooms on rue de Richelieu, and died a few hours later. The chair is on permanent display in the house, like a secular relic.

A few metres away, in front of the main entrance, Place Colette bears the name of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873-1954), the French writer and the first woman elected president of the Académie Goncourt — a quiet nod to one of the most significant female figures of 19th-20th century French literature. Right next to it, the Kiosque des Noctambules by Jean-Michel Othoniel, a contemporary French artist, seals the spot: its cupola of blown-glass and aluminium beads colours the metro entrance differently depending on the time of day.

Our favourite

Practical tip. A classic evening: curtain at 8:30 p.m., out by 11 p.m. The Salle Richelieu sells standing places at the back of the hall at a reduced rate — released same-day at the box office, around €5 each. Ideal if you want to test the experience without committing to an orchestra seat. Prefer the Salle Richelieu, the mother house, to the smaller Vieux-Colombier annex (Paris 6th), unless you are after contemporary repertoire or a more intimate format — they're two quite different atmospheres.

If you're planning an evening at the Comédie-Française — curtain at 8:30 p.m., out by 11 — know that we're 3 minutes' walk away. An express polish or 30-minute eye-care treatment slipped between dinner and curtain-up is precisely the quarter-hour that turns an evening into an event.