From August 28, 2025, the Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse welcomes Petites misères de la vie conjugale, based on the work of Honoré de Balzac, adapted and directed by Pierre-Olivier Mornas. A ferocious comedy about life as a couple, this little-known text by the author of La Comédie humaine depicts, tableau by tableau, the ordinary disappointments of married life. With biting irony and unflinching lucidity, Balzac invites the spectator into the intimacy of a couple, Caroline and Adolphe, archetypal figures of a marriage in unstable equilibrium.
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On stage, Caroline and Adolphe embody every kind of couple - or almost every kind. This duo, which has become familiar with each scene, crosses the many facets of life as a couple with humor and acuity: conflicts, silences, daily irritations, latent disagreements or repeated absurdities. Each scene functions as a variation on a marital theme, a realistic slice of life where tenderness, resignation and mockery mingle. The viewer is by turns an amused witness, accomplice or mirror of these situations, which are as funny as they are revealing.
This show is aimed at a wide audience, from couples who recognize themselves in it to singles who will see it as a warning (or a relief). Balzac's writing, brought to life here by a pared-down, incisive staging, retains all its vivacity and contemporary impact. Audiences with a taste for literary theater, chiselled dialogue and vitriolic social painting should be particularly receptive to this proposal. On the other hand, those who prefer continuous narratives or romantic plots may be put off by the fragmented form of the show, which resembles a series of vignettes rather than a linear story.
Honoré de Balzac wrote Petites misères de la vie conjugale in 1845, as both a humorous manual and an indictment of the shortcomings of the bourgeois couple. Less well known than his major novels, this text nonetheless offers a very fine reading of male-female relationships in a domestic setting. Pierre-Olivier Mornas has chosen to create a stage adaptation faithful to the original spirit, with a duo of performers capable of playing on all registers: from burlesque to light-hearted tragedy, from societal observation to biting satire.
With Petites misères de la vie conjugale, Théâtre de Poche offers a biting incursion into the underbelly of everyday life for two. This adaptation of Balzac 's text offers an amusing yet merciless look at the compromises, tensions and ordinary dramas of marriage. Available from August 28, 2025, from Tuesday to Sunday, it's a laugh - or a think - for two or solo.
This article is based on information available to the public prior to the show's premiere. It has been written without prior viewing of the play.
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Dates and Opening Time
On August 28, 2025
Location
Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse
75 Boulevard du Montparnasse
75006 Paris 6
Prices
€10 - €28
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