Oh, the Beautiful Days with Catherine Frot at the Bouffes Parisiens

Catherine Frot reunites with Samuel Beckett in Happy Days, staged at the The Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens in Paris, from September 23 to November 1, 2026. This new production by Marc Paquien marks the actress’s return to Winnie, fifteen years after her previous embrace of this central figure in the Theatre of the Absurd.

In Oh Happy Days, Winnie first appears buried up to the waist, then up to the neck. Facing this creeping immobility, she persists with her rituals, memories, and the words she directs to Willie, her silent husband. The play, written by Samuel Beckett, thus pits a character seemingly confined to an exceedingly narrow space against a continuous voice, weaving memory, everyday gestures, and the stubborn resistance to being erased.

• To be read
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The cast pairs Catherine Frot with Pierre Banderet under the direction of Marc Paquien. The announced creative team also features Richard Peduzzi on scenery, Dominique Bruguière for lighting, Sidonie Pontanier designer costumes, Xavier Jacquot in charge of sound, and Manon Muller assisting the director. The production kicks off Bouffes Parisiens’ 2026 season, with a running time of roughly 1 hour 30 minutes.

This revival should appeal to audiences drawn to Samuel Beckett’s theatre, to the great texts of the 20th century, and to productions centered on the interplay between the body, speech, and the stage space. Oh les beaux jours is headed for the Bouffes Parisiens, in the 2e arrondissement de Paris, for a run of performances scheduled from September 23, 2026.

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