Bouffes du Nord

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The Bouffes du Nord is a theater behind the Gare du Nord in Paris. Founded in 1876, it had an erratic existence and seemed that it would never get off the ground. In its first decade it had no fewer than fifteen artistic directors, the most notorious being Olga Léaud who fled the theater after her production had failed, taking the contents of the theater safe with her. The theater' fortunes were revived briefly in 1885 by the arrival of Abel Ballet as the director. In 1896 Abel Ballet leaves the direction of Bouffes North. The two actors Emmanuel Clot and G. Dublay succeed him. In 1904 the theater, under the direction of its directors, is entirely restored, repainted, and equipped with electricity. The theatre is renamed the Théâtre Molière and authors such as Arthur Bernède and Gaston Leroux were assembled to write plays for the newly-named theater. In August 1914 the Molière Theatre, like all other theatres, closes its doors. Until 1974 the theater had been inhabited by a number of theater companies, none of which were able to afford the repairs and maintenance needed for it to conform with security regulations. It had almost been forgotten when Peter Brook arrived upon the scene and immediately decided that this was the home for his new theater company.