Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
Encyclopedia
The theatre was rebuilt to plans by the architects Jacques Ignace Hittorff
and Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe
on the boulevard Saint-Martin, at the corner of rue de Bondy (now rue René-Boulanger). The 19th century saw the Ambigu's success augmented, so much so that its grand spectacles, dramas, melodramas, "pièces de boulevard
" and vaudeville shows remain the most faithful representation of the dramatic traditions of what is called "the boulevard of crime
" ("le boulevard du crime").
and Roger Vitrac
. In 1966, despite several demonstrations and a spectacular parade by the whole theatrical profession, the theatre was closed for good and demolished. The department of André Malraux
, minister of culture, promised that the auditorium, then the whole building, would be preserved, when demolition works had already begun.
Jacques Ignace Hittorff
Jakob Ignaz Hittorff was a German-born French architect who combined advanced structural use of new materials, notably cast iron, with conservative Beaux-Arts classicism in a career that spanned the decades from the Restoration to the Second Empire.After serving an apprenticeship to a mason in his...
and Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe
Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe
Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe was official architect to king Charles X of France. He worked in direct collaboration with Jacques Ignace Hittorff from 1819 to 1830, in particular on the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and the organisation of grand royal ceremonies and the elaborate temporary...
on the boulevard Saint-Martin, at the corner of rue de Bondy (now rue René-Boulanger). The 19th century saw the Ambigu's success augmented, so much so that its grand spectacles, dramas, melodramas, "pièces de boulevard
Boulevard theatre
Boulevard theatre is a theatrical aesthetic which emerged from the boulevards of Paris's old city.-Origin:Starting from the second half of the 18th century, popular and bourgeois theatre alike took up residence on the boulevard du Temple, then nicknamed Boulevard of Crime due to the many...
" and vaudeville shows remain the most faithful representation of the dramatic traditions of what is called "the boulevard of crime
Boulevard du Crime
The Boulevard du Crime was the nickname given in the 19th century to the Boulevard du Temple in Paris because of the many crime melodramas that were shown every night in its many theaters. It is notorious in French history for having lost so many theatres during the rebuilding of Paris by Baron...
" ("le boulevard du crime").
20th century
In the 1920s, the building was briefly turned into a cinema. In 1954, the comedian Christian Casadesus reopened the Théâtre de l'Ambigu, and plays were staged there once again, by contemporary authors such as François BilletdouxFrançois Billetdoux
François Billetdoux was a French dramatic author and novelist. His works describe the world with a fierce humor of a somewhat burlesque style, which sometimes turns into black humor....
and Roger Vitrac
Roger Vitrac
Roger Vitrac was a French surrealist playwright and poet.Born in Pinsac, Roger Vitrac moved to Paris in 1910. As a young man, he was influenced by symbolism and the writings of Lautréamont and Alfred Jarry, and he developed a passion for theatre and poetry...
. In 1966, despite several demonstrations and a spectacular parade by the whole theatrical profession, the theatre was closed for good and demolished. The department of André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
, minister of culture, promised that the auditorium, then the whole building, would be preserved, when demolition works had already begun.