Théâtre du Gymnase

Founded in 1820 on the Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle, this playhouse belongs to the historic string of theatres along the Grands Boulevards once nicknamed the Boulevard du Crime. It built its reputation on comedy and boulevard drama and remains an active commercial theatre. The intimate horseshoe auditorium retains period gilding and red velvet seating characteristic of nineteenth-century Parisian houses. Its long continuous operation makes it one of the older surviving theatres in the capital, embedded in the traditional entertainment district.