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Delassement-Comiques, and many others. The
Comedie Francais, which was established back in 1680 and was certainly well known throughout Europe, coexisted with the Ambigu and, therefore, they competed each other for an audience. However, l’Ambigu's biggest rival was Théâtre Feydeau. The Feydeau was closed by the government due to the social “turbulence” it invoked, and on February 3, 1795, Théâtre de l’Ambigu showed a production of "Le Concert de la rue Feydeau." This production was a satirical piece and a supposedly “lighthearted attack” against The Feydeau which was taken the wrong way to many viewers and caused “angry crowds to surround the Ambigu for two evenings until the Committee of Public Saftety demanded that the play be withdrawn in the interests of public tranquility” (Carlson.)
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up puppetry altogether, replacing them entirely with child-performers. Not entirely released from the ties which had brought about his rise in the large theatres, from 1780 he had to pay the Opéra a fee for representation and to engage him but not use him, in producing ballets and lyric pieces borrowed for that scene, whose shows had at least ten years of publicity. The Comédie-Française and the Comédie-Italienne stipulated, for their part, that dialogue pieces in the repertoire would be submitted to them before being played, so they could edit and change them to their own advantage.
432:
275:. In addition to the big name of Pixerecourt, actor Frederick Lemaitre played “Robert Macaire,” a classic villain in many French plays, in 1823 with outstanding success. After Audinot stepped down as the director, one of the company's actors named Picardeaux took over, followed by Andre Coffin-Rosny, then Hector Chaussier, and another actor, Cammaile Saint-Aubin. The Ambigu's building burned down on 13 July 1827.
299:
204:
from the Comédie
Italienne. Audinot saved the profits he made from shows and constructed a permanent theatre building on the Boulevard du Temple, which officially opened on July 9, 1769. The following April, Audinot added to his puppets with a few young children, who he trained up in the theatrical arts, and painted the motto "Sicut infantes audi nos" on the theatre's curtain. His success caused
157:. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in 1827 was destroyed by fire. A new, larger theatre with a capacity of 2,000 as compared to the earlier 1,250 was built nearby on the boulevard Saint-Martin at its intersection with the rue de Bondy and opened the following year. The theatre was eventually demolished in 1966.
203:
The variety and mix of these theatrical modes justified and explained changing the theatre's name, after only one year, from "Comédiens de bois" to "Ambigu-Comique" when
Audinot substituted child-performers for marionettes. Audinot also used wooden puppets to spitefully reenact his former colleagues
235:
A Conseil decision of 1771 (demanded by the Opéra) banned singing, dancing, and having more than four musicians aroused such emotion that it was revoked only a few days later, and
Audinot took full advantage of the situation. Judging, in 1772, that the time was right to extend the building, he gave
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The Ambigu-Comique and the Gaîté had a smaller number of boxes for privileged clientele than other
Parisian theatres. These were separated by only half partitions that were more steeply angled toward the stage. The boxes usually found at the rear of a theatre were replaced with galleries of benches
239:
Despite these problems and burdens, the Ambigu was able to rebuild and enlarge its theatre in 1786. Audinot sustained the fashion for "pantomimes historiques and "pantomimes romanesques" such as "Belle au bois dormant", "Masque de fer", "Forêt-Noire", and "Capitaine Cook". The Ambigu's success was
211:
The architectural success of the theatre was mostly due to the ambitious and inventive set designer, Louis
Daguerre. Daguerre, who is also credited with developing early photography and diorama theatre (1822), was an expert in scenic and lighting design and created picturesque effects within the
255:
Being located on the
Boulevard du Temple amongst several other successful theaters created a healthy competition and a spark that the Ambigu used to strive to achieve greatness. Some of the theaters along the Boulevard included Theatre de Nicolet, Theatre des Associes, Theatre des
259:
The proclamation of the freedom of the theatres in 1791 gave rise to a large number of rivals to the Ambigu, which was forced to close in 1799. In 1801, Audinot inaugurated a
456:. In 1966, despite several demonstrations and a spectacular parade by the whole theatrical profession, the theatre was closed for good and demolished. The department of
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which seated more people. These arrangements provided more patrons with a better view of the stage, rather than a view of the other members of the audience.
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215:
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402:
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460:, minister of culture, promised that the auditorium, then the whole building, would be preserved, when demolition works had already begun.
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177:, which he had left to become a puppet-master at the Paris fairs. Audinot had already been a success in one of the sites of the
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409:). The 19th century saw the Ambigu's success augmented, so much so that its grand spectacles, dramas, melodramas, "
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394:
775:
413:" and vaudeville shows remain the most faithful representation of the dramatic traditions of what is called "the
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325:
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reopened the Théâtre de l'Ambigu, and plays were staged there once again, by contemporary authors such as
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and "féeries" (spectacles), then he enlarged his repertoire to include marionettes, child-performers, and
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249:
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149:, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the
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All the shows put on at the Ambigu-Comique (in the boulevard du Temple) in the 18th century
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Under the name of his foundation, the "Comédiens de bois", the Opéra-Comique proposed
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661:
628:
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Les
Tribulations de Nicolas-Médard Audinot, fondateur du théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
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In the 1920s, the building was briefly turned into a cinema. In 1954, the comedian
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even noted in 1771 that
Audinot's theatre was better attended than the Opéra.
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equally down to the "comédies graveleuses" written by its official writers
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A New
Picture of Paris; or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis
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197:
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182:
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189:
420:
Productions of adapted novels were successful such as Émile Zola's
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169:, originally known as the Promenades des Ramparts, in Paris by
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279:
History of the second theatre in the boulevard Saint-Martin
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Histoire des petits théâtres de Paris depuis leur origine
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to write "Dear Audinot, childhood attired as old age".
161:
History of the first theatre in the boulevard du Temple
779:
219:
Plans of the Ambigu-Comique (left) and the Théâtre de
389:The theatre was rebuilt to plans by the architects
200:shows, "opéras comiques", dramas and pantomimes.
787:
701:. Paris: Administration de l'Alliance des Arts.
695:Bibliotheque Dramatique de Monsieur De Soleinne
765:. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Print.
584:Les Spectacles forains et la Comédie Française
714:Popular Theatres of Nineteenth Century France
816:Theatres in the 10th arrondissement of Paris
731:. London: Samuel Lee and Baldwin, Craddock.
524:Carlson 1966, p. 226; McCormick 1993, p. 19.
435:Poster for an 1896 production at the Theâtre
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286:
134:
47:
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796:Buildings and structures demolished in 1966
225:Théâtre de la Gaîté (boulevard du Temple)
826:Former buildings and structures in Paris
682:. New York: Cambridge University Press.
430:
214:
761:Wilson, Edwin; Goldfarb, Alvin (2008).
744:Dictionnaire universel des littératures
673:Historical Dictionary of French Theatre
788:
680:Theatre and State in France, 1760–1905
675:. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, Inc. Print.
227:, right), on the boulevard du Temple.
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604:. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
602:The Theatre of the French Revolution
185:(called "bamboches") were in vogue.
841:18th-century architecture in France
13:
14:
852:
769:
627:. Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale.
811:1966 disestablishments in France
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625:La Musique à Paris en 1830-1831
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16:Former theatre in Paris, France
623:Colette, Marie-Noëlle (1983).
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527:
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165:It was founded in 1769 on the
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806:1769 establishments in France
763:History of the Living Theatre
643:Dickens's Dictionary of Paris
548:"Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique"
475:
417:" ("le boulevard du crime").
395:Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe
310:on the boulevard Saint-Martin
173:, formerly a comedian of the
146:[teɑtʁdəlɑ̃biɡykɔmik]
821:11th arrondissement of Paris
153:immediately adjacent to the
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678:Hemmings, F. W. J. (1994).
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306:Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
288:Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique
136:Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique
52:on the day of a free show.
49:Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
24:Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique
10:
857:
836:Theatres completed in 1828
831:Theatres completed in 1769
742:Vapereau, Gustave (1876).
582:Bonnassies, Jules (1875).
564:Brazier, Nicholas (1838).
506:McCormick 1993, pp. 18–19.
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371:
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323:2 boulevard Saint-Martin,
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801:Former theatres in Paris
712:McCormick, John (1993).
600:Carlson, Marvin (1966).
727:Planta, Edward (1821).
716:. New York: Routledge.
671:Forman, Edward (2010).
391:Jacques Ignace Hittorff
265:Guilbert de Pixérécourt
126:burnt down 13 July 1827
436:
399:boulevard Saint-Martin
232:
171:Nicolas-Médard Audinot
693:Jacob, P. L. (1844).
656:Faul, Michel (2013).
645:. London: Macmillan.
515:Hemmings 1994, p. 31.
434:
218:
34:Les Comédiens de Bois
347:48.86860°N 2.35928°E
54:Louis-Léopold Boilly
46:The entrance to the
750:. Paris: Hachette.
589:. Paris: E. Dentu.
571:, Paris: Allardin.
450:François Billetdoux
446:Christian Casadesus
411:pièces de boulevard
401:, at the corner of
343: /
326:10th arrondissement
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167:boulevard du Temple
151:boulevard du Temple
93: /
76:11th arrondissement
71:boulevard du Temple
29:
660:. Lyon: Symétrie.
437:
415:boulevard of crime
407:rue René-Boulanger
283:
233:
181:, where his large
179:Saint-Germain Fair
155:Théâtre de Nicolet
97:48.8670°N 2.3651°E
19:
746:, pp. 76–77
722:978-0-415-08854-1
688:978-0-521-03472-2
666:978-2-914373-97-5
633:978-2-7177-1656-6
387:
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352:48.86860; 2.35928
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707:Internet Archive
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639:Dickens, Charles
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367:Construction
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748:(in French)
699:(in French)
587:(in French)
569:(in French)
422:L’Assommoir
375:7 June 1828
350: /
242:Plainchesne
183:marionettes
118:9 July 1769
100: /
28:(1769-1827)
790:Categories
476:References
380:Demolished
335:48°52′07″N
284:The second
250:Bachaumont
198:vaudeville
190:pantomimes
142:pronounced
85:48°52′01″N
697:, vol. 3
618:622637342
614:559057440
428:in 1881.
338:2°21′33″E
261:melodrama
212:theatre.
88:2°21′54″E
20:The first
641:(1882).
464:See also
269:Caigniez
194:acrobats
778:on the
756:Gallica
559:Sources
397:on the
320:Address
221:Nicolet
206:Delille
66:Address
720:
686:
664:
631:
610:331216
608:
535:p. 254
372:Opened
246:Moline
123:Closed
115:Opened
56:(1819)
780:CÉSAR
495:p. 79
481:Notes
405:(now
361:Paris
263:with
110:Paris
782:site
752:View
733:View
718:ISBN
703:View
684:ISBN
662:ISBN
647:View
629:ISBN
606:OCLC
591:View
573:View
452:and
426:Nana
393:and
383:1966
303:The
271:and
244:and
132:The
754:at
735:at
705:at
649:at
593:at
575:at
69:62
792::
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758:.
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668:.
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223:(
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