Dans l'enfer des ménages: Courteline dissects the couple at Théâtre Pixel

From November 1, 2025, Théâtre Pixel (Paris 18ᵉ) presents Dans l'enfer des ménages, a comedy by Georges Courteline directed by Arnaud Bruyère. Through four ironic sketches, the show explores the shortcomings of couples and the little dramas of everyday life, between hypocrisy, bad faith and marital pique.

When the masks come off

He's boastful, provocative and utterly dishonest. She, falsely indignant, mocking and a tad manipulative. With Courteline, pretense is shattered: the veneer of propriety cracks, revealing the brutal, sincere intimacy of ordinary couples. The author paints acidic, delicious portraits, in which each person is shown as he or she really is - intransigent, selfish or disarmingly human.

A gritty, universal comedy of manners

In these four marital tableaux, Courteline stages domestic disputes where logic breaks down, reproaches fly and bad faith becomes an art form. The lively dialogue and biting irony paint a picture of couples who love each other as much as they annoy each other, in a funny and disarming mechanism. This theater of the everyday, always topical, amuses as much as it questions human frailties.

Lively, precise staging

Directed byArnaud Bruyère, the play is fast-paced, alternating between character-driven comedy and scenes of confrontation. The sobriety of the set highlights the richness of the text and the performance of actors Bernadette Thuriès and Brice Vidaud, who aptly embody these explosive duos where love turns into a verbal duel.

• To be read
• Top cinemas in Paris
• Films in theaters: the releases scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025

For which audience?

Accessible to all, Dans l'enfer des ménages will appeal to fans of boulevard revisited, satirical comedy and classic texts with contemporary resonances. Audiences with a fondness for the great writers of French theater will rediscover the spirit of Feydeau and Labiche in a condensed version, performed by a dynamic duo of actors.

All you need to know about Dans l'enfer des ménages

With Dans l'enfer des ménages, Courteline proves that marital relationships remain an inexhaustible source of comedy. Between irony, realism and exasperation, the play highlights the eternal struggle between reason and sentiment. An acid, jubilant comedy to be (re)discovered at Théâtre Pixel.

This article is based on available information and is not the result of a direct viewing of the show.

Comedies to see in Paris theaters: the best plays of the moment and coming soon
The best comedies to see in Paris theaters: funny, burlesque, romantic, and contemporary plays currently playing or coming soon. [Read more]

This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.