This was opened on 2 Jan. 1792 by the actors who were forced to leave the Comedie-Italienne when its licence was renewed for musical plays only. The company was headed by Rozieres, and was frequently in trouble for the topical and political allusions found in its productions by the vigilance of the censor. It eventually fell back on the safety of semi-historical pieces, based on anecdotes of heroic figures, and in 1838 was burnt down. The company moved to the Theatres des Nouveautes, where plays by Dumas fib and others were given with some success, but the theatre fell on bad times and was frequently closed. In 1868 the present building was opened under the old name, and has since had a steady, though somewhat uneventful, career.

In: Hartnoll, Phyllis, ed. The concise Oxford companion to the theatre. 1st ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1972.   ISBN 0-19-281102-9. p. 572

Author: Hartnoll Phyllis