Beneath the unassuming facade lies a story of artistic evolution. The Thêatre de l’Aquarium started as a university troupe. It was formed by normaliens around Jacques Nichet at the E.N.S. in 1965.
These students wanted to shake up university theater. They sought fresh interpretations and stage research. The troupe expanded and welcomed students from other E.N.S. schools. It opened its doors to a non-university audience.
Early productions included Aristophanes’ “The Frogs”. It also featured “Et les chiens de taisaient” after Aimé Césaire. Molière’s “Monsieur de Pourceaugnac” and Tchekhov’s “Tatiana Repina” were also performed.
The troupe declared its aim to avoid plagiarism. They wanted to seek a new style or original repertoire. The Thêatre de l’Aquarium gained recognition for “Guerres picrocholines”. This was after Rabelais. Jean-Louis Benoit joined the troupe for this show.
In 1967 the play was lauded by the press. It took the Thêatre de l’Aquarium to the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. They went to Latin America in 1969. Upon their return, the company partly dissolved. They opened to young actors like Didier Bezace. The company desired to turn professional.
The Thêatre de l’Aquarium faced challenges in the late 1960s. They lacked status and support. Jacques Nichet implemented reforms in 1972. He became the animateur-metteur en scène. Nichet emphasized shared risks and equal say. He wanted control and critique rights and repertoire choice.
Nichet envisioned a new world. He wanted to present the unknown under the known. He sought the instability under stability.
The troupe sought a new home. Ariane Mnouchkine and Jean-Marie Serreau encouraged them. In 1972 they settled at the Cartoucherie de Vincennes. Jacques Nichet, Jean-Louis Benoît and Didier Bezace led the transformation. They converted the 50-meter nave into a theater.
The Thêatre de l’Aquarium chose freedom at the Cartoucherie. They depended on themselves. They needed success to survive.
The 1970s saw collective creation. Shows arose from improvisations. The troupe rewrote them. They created new theater. It was immediate and visual. It engaged with current events. Productions included “Gob ou le journal d’un homme normal”. Also “Marchands de ville” and “La jeune lune tient la vieille lune toute une nuit dans ses bras”.
The Thêatre de l’Aquarium operated in economic precarity. Subsidies allowed rehearsals. Public success and tours ensured viability.
Jean-Louis Benoît, Didier Bezace and Jacques Nichet directed shows in the 1980s. Collaboration decreased. They used pre-existing texts. Productions included “Flaubert”, “Un conseil de classe très ordinaire”, and “Correspondance”.
The militant collective faded. Many members pursued other artistic paths. Jacques Nichet left the Thêatre de l’Aquarium in 1986. He directed the Théâtre des Treize Vents.
Didier Bezace became director of the Théâtre de la Commune. Jean-Louis Benoît departed to La Criée.
Julie Brochen succeeded them in 2002. She staged “Oncle Vania” and “L’Échange”. Julie Brochen became head of the Théâtre National de Strasbourg in 2008.
François Rancillac directed from 2009. He focused on creation and transmission. Besides in-house creations, he invited other companies.
La vie brève took over in 2019. They made the Thêatre de l’Aquarium a home for music and theater. They aimed to make it swing. The Festival Théâtre et Musique BRUIT occurs twice a year.
Today the Thêatre de l’Aquarium stands as a testament to artistic evolution. It embraces theater and music. It welcomes classical and contemporary works.