Eight Kings: The Presidents of the Fifth Republic at the Pépinière

The presidents of the Fifth Republic take the stage at Théâtre La Pépinière in Huit Rois (Our Presidents). The series by Léo Cohen-Paperman, developed with Julien Campani, brings together five plays presented on Sundays in rotation, running until 11 April 2027.

The project, launched in 2019 by the Compagnie des Animaux en Paradis, pairs each leader with a theatrical form. The five performances this season are devoted to six presidents, from Giscard d’Estaing to Emmanuel Macron.

The Life and Death of Jacques Chirac, King of the French unfolds as a dreamlike comedy. Generation Mitterrand follows a presidency through the eyes of those who bore its hopes. The Dinner with the French by V. Giscard d’Estaing turns a culinary farce into a portrait of how power meets the citizenry.

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Sarkhollande teams up two public figures in one show: Nicolas Sarkozy comes across as a stand‑up comedian, François Hollande as a clown. The cycle continues with The Therapy of Emmanuel Macron, a helmeted political fiction that opens on November 29.

Beyond portraits of leaders, the series also follows a French family across four generations, tying political changes to ordinary life by moving from one theatrical idiom to another.

Two installments are offered on the Sundays on the program. In November, Génération Mitterrand and Sarkhollande share the bill, notably on November 1, 8 and 15; on November 22, Chirac is paired with Sarkhollande. On December 20, the show devoted to Giscard d’Estaing opens at 8 p.m., after Génération Mitterrand at 5:30 p.m. The theatre calendar specifies which episode and what time to choose for each reservation.

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