Jacques Copeau founded his Theatre du Vieux Colombier as early as 1913, and in 1919 a theatre was built to designs drawn up by Louis Jouvet. There was no proscenium. The audience sat in a bare hall facing a permanent set made of concrete—a series of platforms linked by steps. It had something in common with the Elizabethan stage, but was in no sense a reconstruction, and was intended to be used for all types of play. But the audience soon grew bored, and critics complained of its 'drab puritanism' and 'unbearable monotony'.

In: Tidworth, Simon: Theatres: An Illustrated History. London 1973 p. 202

Author: Simon Tidworth