Comédie de Paris, Historic theater in 9th arrondissement, France

Comédie de Paris occupies a flat-faced building at 42 rue Pierre Fontaine, at the foot of the Butte Montmartre. Its facade of large grey stone panels carries a black sign reading "COMÉDIE DE PARIS" above the glazed entrance doors, a vertical white sign with red lettering reading "THEATRE" on the left corner, and five round porthole windows along the upper right wall. The architect Georges-Henri Pingusson gave the hall its "paquebot" style, inaugurated in December 1929.

The hall, built by architect Georges-Henri Pingusson in the 'paquebot' style, opened in December 1929 as Menus-Plaisirs, named after the royal service that once organized court festivities. Under director Marcel Tallien it was billed as a 'music-hall de 10 heures', hosting stars such as Damia, Julien Carette and the young Jean Sablon. By 1941, director Jacques Valois brought in Raymond Raynal's Jeune-Colombier troupe, staging Shakespeare, Wilde, Shaw and Machiavelli's La Mandragore. The facade was inscribed as a monument historique in 1991.

The name Menus-Plaisirs came from the royal service that once staged court ceremonies and shows. Since 2008 the hall has been run by Jean-Pierre Bigard, also director of the Palais des glaces, and its programme is devoted to humour and café-théâtre, with performers such as Jérôme Commandeur and Audrey Lamy billed in 2009 and 2010.

Opening hours vary throughout the week, so it is best to check ahead before visiting. The location on rue Pierre Fontaine is easily accessible by public transportation and is surrounded by other attractions in the 9th arrondissement.

The building was designed by architect Pingusson, a figure working in modern French design during the 1920s and beyond. The original name Menus Plaisir reflected an older tradition of offering theater experiences to everyday audiences.