<P> At the request of Louis Philippe II, two new theatres were constructed in the Palais - Royal complex shortly thereafter . Both of these new theatres were designed by Victor Louis, the architect who also designed the garden galleries for the complex . The first theatre, which opened on 23 October 1784, was a small puppet theatre in the northwest corner of the gardens at the intersection of the Galerie de Montpensier and the Galerie de Beaujolais . Initially it was known as the Théâtre des Beaujolais, then as the Théâtre Montansier, after which Victor Louis enlarged it for the performance of plays and operas . Later, beginning with the political turmoil of the Revolution, this theatre was known by a variety of other names . It was converted to a café with shows in 1812, but reopened as a theatre in 1831, when it acquired the name Théâtre du Palais - Royal, by which it is still known today . </P> <P> Louis Philippe II's second theatre was larger and located near the southwest corner of the complex, on the rue de Richelieu . He originally intended it for the Opera, but that company refused to move into it . Instead he offered it to the Théâtre des Variétés - Amusantes, formerly on the boulevard du Temple, but since 1 January 1785 playing in a temporary theatre in the gardens of the Palais - Royal . This company changed their name to Théâtre du Palais - Royal on 15 December 1789, and later moved into their new theatre upon its completion, where they opened on 15 May 1790 . On 25 April 1791 the anti-royalist faction of the Comédie - Française, led by Talma, left that company's theatre on the left bank (at that time known as the Théâtre de la Nation, but today as the Odéon), and joined the company on the rue de Richelieu, which promptly changed their name to Théâtre Français de la rue de Richelieu . With the founding of the French Republic in September 1792 the theatre's name was changed again, to Théâtre de la République . In 1799 the players of the split company reunited at the Palais - Royal, and the theatre officially became the Comédie - Française, also commonly known as the Théâtre - Français, names which it retains to this day . </P> <P> During the revolutionary period, Philippe d'Orléans became known as Philippe Égalité and ruled at the Palais de l'Égalité, as it was known during the more radical phase of the Revolution, made himself popular in Paris when he opened the gardens of the palace to all Parisians and employed the neoclassical architect Victor Louis to rebuild the structures around the palace gardens, which had been the irregular backs of houses that faced the surrounding streets, and to enclose the gardens with regular colonnades that were lined with smart shops (in one of which Charlotte Corday bought the knife she used to stab Jean - Paul Marat). </P> <P> Along the galeries, ladies of the night lingered, and smart gambling casinos were lodged in second - floor quarters . There was a theatre at each end of the galleries; the larger one has been the seat of the Comédie - Française, the state theatre company, since Napoleon laid its administrative reorganisation in the décret de Moscou on 15 October 1812, which contains 87 articles . The very first theatre in the Palais - Royal was built by Lemercier for Cardinal Richelieu, and inaugurated in 1641 . Under Louis XIV, the theater hosted plays by Molière, from 1660 to Molière's death in 1673, followed by the Opera under the direction of Jean - Baptiste Lully . </P>

Le palais royal 8 rue de montpensier 75001 paris france