Coal in the Veins at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris

Du charbon dans les veines, a play written and directed by Jean-Philippe Daguerre, continues its performances at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris, starting 6 September 2025. Honored with five Molières, the production transports audiences back to a northern French mining town in the late 1950s, where friendship, music, and working-class life intertwine.

In Du charbon dans les veines, Jean-Philippe Daguerre places his story in Nœux-les-Mines in 1958. Pierre and Vlad toil at the mine, raise racing pigeons, and play in the local orchestra led by Sosthène. The arrival of Leila, a young accordionist, upends the group's balance and reshapes the relationships among the characters.

The play tackles several themes linked to life in the coal-mining towns of the era: worker solidarity, class origins, racism, illness, and the place of women in a society still dominated by postwar hierarchies. The production fuses theatre and music into a sprawling chorale panorama built around the miners’ daily life.

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At the 2025 Molières Awards ceremony, Du charbon dans les veines took home five prizes, including the Molière for Private Theatre, the Molière for the Living French-language Author, and the Molière for Directing in a Private Theatre production. Raphaëlle Cambray and Juliette Behar were also singled out for their performances.

Jean-Philippe Daguerre has made a name for himself, notably with Goodbye Mr. Haffmann, another work that earned a Molière Award. With Coal in the Veins, the author continues his exploration of historical and popular narratives, anchored in specific social contexts.

To broaden your search for cultural outings, also discover our selection of theatre shows to see this week in Paris and the Molière-winning productions currently on stage in Paris.