A sculpted sun adorns its pignon. It commemorates Louis XIV’s annexation of Lille in 1667. This is the Théâtre du Nord. It stands on Lille’s Grand Place. The Théâtre du Nord has a rich history.
Erected in 1717, the building first served as a guardhouse. It housed the city’s garrison. Its primary task was maintaining order. Before that, the site housed the Nouvelles Boucheries since 1550. The building showcases classic French architecture of the era. The facade is listed as a historical monument. An escutcheon displays Lille’s coat of arms. A clock also features on the pignon of the Théâtre du Nord.
The balcony has witnessed many Lille events. It still serves as a tribune for various demonstrations. During the Braderie de Lille, General Achille Testelin proclaimed the Republic from this balcony. General Lebas announced the general mobilization decree to the crowd gathered on the Grand Place. After France won the 1998 World Cup, the first tricolor flags appeared on the balcony of the Théâtre du Nord.
The Théâtre du Nord comprises the historic facade. It also features a smaller hall with a hundred seats. The Roger-Salengro hall seats 444. Built in 1989, it replaced the Saint-Nicolas covered market. The market had become the Salle Roger Salengro. It hosted boxing galas. It was a hub of the 1968 protests. Today, it hosts performances by the Centre Dramatique National Lille Tourcoing Hauts-de-France.
Gildas Bourdet’s “la Salamandre” team arrived in Lille in 1975. They established a presence. Daniel Mesguich directed the Théâtre du Nord from 1991 to 1998. Stuart Seide followed him. Christophe Rauck directed it from 2014 to 2021. David Bobée has been the director since then.
In 2003, the École professionnelle supérieure d’art dramatique was founded in Lille. It is now called École du Nord. This school is closely linked to the Théâtre du Nord.
Plays performed here include Romeo and Juliet. Also performed were Cyrano de Bergerac and Ubu Roi. The list goes on. The Théâtre du Nord continues to be a cultural beacon. It enriches Lille’s artistic landscape.