And here I go again, wonderful time finding me this picture from other post that feels should have a post of its own. Wonderful memories indeed and glad we came to Laval. I have several entries on Laval and it is a town worth the detour. To me, it was one of my expatriate bosses native town so had the curiosity to visit it and I did several times. Therefore, here is my take on the Théâtre de Laval theater !! Hope you enjoy it too.
The Théâtre of Laval Theater is one of the primary performance venues in the city. It opened in 1830 and has since had a turbulent history: it was converted into a cinema in 1958, subsequently demolished, and later rebuilt as a theatre in 2007. Consequently, only the main façade and the crypt remain from the original structure. It is located on Rue de la Paix, one of the major thoroughfares in Laval’s city centre. It is an Italian-style theatre, featuring a circular auditorium richly decorated with wooden caryatid reliefs. The auditorium with its red seats and two tiers of balconies evokes the original theatre. The stage spans 360 square metres and is overlooked by a 16 meters high technical grid. The orchestra pit can accommodate 60 musicians.
The building also houses an exhibition and concert hall with a capacity of 120, a 140-square-metre rehearsal room, ten dressing rooms for performers, and a bar and dining area set within the original vaulted cellars. The venue primarily hosts theatrical productions, but also presents classical and contemporary music concerts, as well as dance performances. Furthermore, it is the first theatre in France to be officially designated as a conventioned stage dedicated to young audiences and the art of puppetry.
A bit of history I like tell us that prior to 1830, Laval lacked a proper performance venue. In the 15C, “mystery plays” religious dramas popular at the time were performed outdoors at the neighborhood of Bootz near the Mayenne river. By the 18C, as theatrical performances became more diverse and frequent, the need for a suitable space grew. Rather than constructing a dedicated theatre, local authorities following a practice common in many other French towns authorised performances to be held in a jeu de paume or real tennis court, which was spacious enough to accommodate both a stage and an audience. In Laval, the jeu de paume was located on Rue du Bourg-Chevreau (an area now divided between Rue du Jeu-de-Paume and Rue des Béliers). In 1785, Monsieur Roche, who operated the jeu de paume court, received authorization to stage performances of comedies, tragedies, comic operas, and ballets there.
The official theater of Laval : https://letheatre.laval.fr/
The Laval tourist office on the theater : https://www.laval-tourisme.com/en/touristic_sheet/le-theatre-de-laval-laval-en-4711091/
The City agglo Laval on the theater : https://www.agglo-laval.fr/autres/annuaire-des-structures/le-theatre-997
The Mayenne dept 53 tourist office on the theater of Laval : https://www.destination-mayenne.com/en/offers/le-theatre-de-laval-laval-en-1005645/
The Pays de la Loire region on the theater of Laval : https://www.atlantic-loire-valley.com/activities/going-out/le-theatre-de-laval
There you go folks, a nice place to visit especiall evening functions in a wonderful town, which as said plenty written in my blog. Hope you have the opportunity to visit it,worth the detour indeed. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Théâtre de Laval theater !! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
