The Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques was a theatre in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in the 19th and 20th centuries. Opened first in 1832 in the site of the old

Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique The Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in ...

on the

Boulevard du Temple The Boulevard du Temple, formerly nicknamed the "Boulevard du Crime", is a thoroughfare in Paris that separates the 3rd arrondissement from the 11th. It runs from the Place de la République to the Place Pasdeloup, and its name refers to the ne ...

, under Frédérick Lemaître it became a noted venue for the genre of

mélodrame A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

.’L'encyclopédie multimedia de la comédie musicale théâtrale en France (1918-1940)’ (http://comedie-musicale.jgana.fr/index.htm), accessed 14.01.10. In 1862, the theatre moved to the rue de Bondy and the repertoire developed more in the field of

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

, ''

La fille de Madame Angot ''La fille de Madame Angot'' (''Madame Angot's Daughter'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Charles Lecocq with words by Clairville, Paul Siraudin and Victor Koning. It was premiered in Brussels in December 1872 and soon became a success in ...

'' by

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable success in the 1870 ...

in 1873, ''

Les cloches de Corneville ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (''The Bells of Corneville'', sometimes known in English as ''The Chimes of Normandy'') is an opéra-comique in three acts, composed by Robert Planquette to a libretto by Louis Clairville and Charles Gabet. The st ...

'' by

Robert Planquette Jean Robert Planquette (31 July 1848 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of songs and operettas. Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, especially '' Les cloches de Corneville'' (1878), the length of ...

in 1877, ''

Madame Favart ''Madame Favart'' is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. Performance history After defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870) ended Napoleon III' ...

'', by

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

in 1878, ''

La fille du tambour-major ''La fille du tambour-major'' (''The Drum Major's Daughter'') is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. It was one of the composer's last works, premiered less than a year befor ...

'' by Offenbach in 1879, ''

La fauvette du temple ''La fauvette du temple'' is an opéra comique in three acts of 1885, with music by André Messager and a French language, French libretto by Paul Burani and Eugène Humbert. The libretto bears some similarities to the outline of a vaudeville in t ...

'' by

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

in 1885, '' La Béarnaise'' by Messager in 1887 and '' Surcouf'' by

in October of the same year being among the premieres seen at the theatre. Other operettas and light operas were revived along with many vaudevilles. The French version of ''

Rip Rest in peace (RIP), a phrase from the Latin (), is sometimes used in traditional Christian services and prayers, such as in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist denominations, to wish the soul of a decedent eternal rest and peace. ...

'' was given at the Folies-Dramatiques in 1884.Recorded in editions of Noel E & Stoullig E. ''

Les Annales du Théâtre et de la Musique ''Les Annales du Théâtre et de la Musique'' ("The Annals of Theatre and Music") was an annual French periodical which covered French dramatic and lyric theatre for 42 years, from 1875 to 1916. The volumes also covered concert series and ne ...

'', G Charpentier et Cie, Paris. In the 1920s, the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques saw a succession of musical comedies: ''Le Mariage de Pyramidon'' (1923), ''Le Rosier'' (1924), ''Le Million du Bouif'' (1924), ''Micheline'' (1924), ''Le Tour du monde d'une midinette'' (1924), ''Ernest'' (1924), ''Maurin des Maures'' (1925) and ''Souris blonde'' (1926). In the 1930s, the theatre turned into a cinema.

References

{{Authority control Former theatres in Paris 11th arrondissement of Paris Theatres completed in 1832 Theatres completed in 1862 1862 establishments in France