A History of the Theater: Philippe Tesson and Christophe Barbier at the Poche

Christophe Barbier revives the voice of Philippe Tesson in Une histoire du théâtre, at the Théâtre de Poche-Montparnasse. The show resumes on November 9, 2026, for eight Monday evening performances at 9 p.m. through January 11, 2027.

The starting point is a series of France Culture broadcasts recorded in 2010. Philippe Tesson traced the range of theatrical forms—from Greek tragedy to vaudeville, with a stop at Shakespeare. These audio archives become the material for an onstage exchange, commented on and energized by Christophe Barbier.

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The setup thus pairs a recorded voice with a live performer. It invites exploring genres, authors, and the way theatre tells the story of society, through the perspective of a critic who has also led the Poche-Montparnasse. The original program was hosted by Matthieu Garrigou-Lagrange.

This 70-minute journey through the history of theatre lasts 1 hour and 10 minutes. Tickets range from 10 euros for those under 26 to 28 euros at full price. The venue also offers a special 20-euro rate for the first evening on November 9. Two Mondays in December, the 14th and 28th, are dark.

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