Sociétaire honoraire
More than five decades of the history and of the fate of the French theater inhabit the memory of Pierre Vial, molding it into a body of reminiscences and recollections.
This young trainee actor was utterly swayed when he discovered Bertolt Brecht and the actress Helen Weigel, who had come along with the Berliner Ensemble to play at the Théâtre des Nations in Paris in the early fifties. Upon his return home from the Algerian War, acting epitomized fresh air breathed into the life of the youth; for acting actually constituted a rebirth, a job he carried out with calm and plenty of rigor, letting time, just like a leading wire, slip through his hands during this voyage of initiation.
Enrolled at the Comédie-Française on March 27, 1989, Pierre Vial became its 513rd sociétaire on January 1, 2005. Hired by Antoine Vitez, he made his début performing the roles of Touchstone and William in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, staged by Lluis Pasqual (1988). Furthermore, he played Philippe Strozzi in Alfred de Musset’s Lorenzaccio put on stage by Georges Lavaudant (1988) and Foresight in William Congreve’s Love for Love directed by André Steiger (1989).
Jean-Pierre Vincent cast him for the role of Mister Fal in Beaumarchais’ The Guilty Mother (La Mère coupable) staged at the Salle Richelieu (1989). Alongside Roland Bertin, Vial embodied Priuli in Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo (La vie de Galilée), the last play staged by Antoine Vitez in a stunningly dusky scenography by Yannis Kokkos. In 1992, he played the roles, respectively, of Chorus in Sophocles’ Antigone put on stage by Otomar Krejca, of Signor Agapito in Carlo Goldoni’s La Serva Amorosa (The Loving Maid) directed by Jacques Lassalle, of Theramenes in Racine’s Phèdre under the direction of Anne Delbée (1995), of Liapkine-Tiapkine in Gogol’s The Government Inspector (The Revizor) directed by Jean-Louis Benoit (1999), and of Nazaire in Eugène Labiche’s Le Mystère de la rue Rousselet in a staging by Thierry de Peretti (2003). Moreover, he played Herod and the Chorus in a selection of texts from the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa, The Privilege of the Pathways (Le Privilège des chemins), conceived and put on stage by Éric Génovèse in 2004, as well as L’Homme aux cannes and Vieille 1 in Philippe Minyana’s La Maison des morts put on stage by Robert Cantarella at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier during the 2006/2007 season.
He also performed the roles of Gorgibusin Molière’s The Precious Ridiculous (Les Précieuses ridicules) put on stage by Dan Jemmet at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in 2007, of Monsieur Perrichon in Eugène Labiche’s Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon directed by Julie Brochen, and of Escartefigue and le chauffeur of Mr. Panissein Marcel Pagnol’s Fanny staged by Irène Bonnaud, again at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in 2009.
Outside the realm of the Comédie-Française, Pierre Vial taught notably at the Conservatoire national d’art dramatique (National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts) of Paris between 1975 and 1993 as well as at the Théâtre national de Chaillot since 1998. He was named director of the Comédie de Saint-Etienne between 1970 and 1975.
On stage, he played in Beaumarchais’The Marriage of Figaro staged by Jean-Pierre Vincent (1987), in Chekhov’s The Seagull in a staging by Andreï Konchalovsky, restaged by Giorgio Strehler at L’Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe (1989), and in Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie directed by Philippe Clévenot at the Comédie de Genève in 2000. On his career path, he would accompany Antoine Vitezfor more than fifteen years, starting with the Théâtre des Quartiers d’Ivry to the Théâtre national de Chaillot, and finally, to the Comédie-Française. Pierre Vial took part in a large number of the latter’s outstanding productions, most notably in Shakespeare’s Hamlet in which he performed the role of Polonius (1983) as well as in the legendary spectacle of Paul Claudel’s The Satin Slipper (1987).
From 1998, he took an active part in the Association des rencontres internationales artistiques (ARIA –Association of International Theater Meeting) project founded in Corsica by actor Robin Renucci, through a variety of areas, namely inacting, reciting and directing.
In the cinema, he collaborated with Bernard Revon on the latter’s movie The Rascals (Les Turlupins) in 1980, with Georges Wilson on his movie La Vouivre (1989), and with Jean-Marie Poiré on his popular comedy The Visitors - Les Visiteurs I and II (1993 – 1997).
He put on stage Ugo Betti’s The Flood (Le Déluge), Corneille’s L’Illusion comique as well as Jean Audureau’s La Lève.
Pierre Vial left the Troupe on December 31, 2010.
Tribute
Vx-Colombier
by Alfred de Musset Direceted by Yves Beaunesne
Maître Bridaine
Théâtre éphémère
by Alfred de Musset Direceted by Yves Beaunesne
Maître Bridaine
Vx-Colombier
Les Joyeuses Commères de Windsor
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare Directed by Andrés Lima
Bardolph
Richelieu
The Affected Young Ladies by Molière Directed by Dan Jemmett
Gorgibus
Vx-Colombier
Reading
Richelieu
Le Voyage de Monsieur Perrichon
by Eugène Labiche Directed by Julie Brochen
Mr Perrichon
Vx-Colombier
by Marcel Pagnol Directed by Irène Bonnaud
Escartefigue et le chauffeur de M. Panisse
Vx-Colombier
The Affected Young Ladies by Molière Directed by Dan Jemmett
Gorgibus
Vx-Colombier
by Bernard Faivre Directed by François Chattot and Jean-Louis Hourdin
Le Mari, Gautier
Vx-Colombier
by Anton Tchekhov Directed by Guillaume Gallienne
Savva, vieillard errant
Studio
by Édouard Bourdet Directed by Jean-Claude Berutti
Cyprien (en alternance)
Vx-Colombier
by Samuel Beckett Directed by Jean Dautremay
Studio
by Paul Claudel Directed by Anne Delbée
Père de la femme morte, Eumère, le Commandant
Vx-Colombier
by Philippe Minyana Directed by Robert Cantarella
l'Homme aux cannes et Vieille 1
Vx-Colombier
Le Mystère de la rue Rousselet
by Eugène Labiche Directed by Thierry de Peretti
Nazaire
Vx-Colombier
by Fernando Pessoa Directed by Éric Génovèse
Hérode et le choeur
Studio
by Grégory Motton Directed by Thierry de Peretti
Tonton
Vx-Colombier
by Georges Feydeau Directed by Lukas Hemleb
The Manager
Richelieu
Conversations avec Antoine Vitez
by Émile Copfermann Directed by Daniel Soulier
Émile Copfermann
Studio
by Molière Directed by Philippe Adrien
Deuxième Médecin, un Suisse
Vx-Colombier
by Yacine Kateb Directed by Mohamed Kacimi
Richelieu
by Victor Hugo Directed by Brigitte Jaques-Wajeman
le Marquis de Santa Cruz et Covadenga
Richelieu
by Georges Feydeau Directed by Lukas Hemleb
The Manager
Richelieu
Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre
Dom Juan or the Feast with the Statue by Molière Directed by Jacques Lassalle
The Beggar
Richelieu
Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre
Dom Juan or the Feast with the Statue by Molière Directed by Jacques Lassalle
The Beggar
Richelieu
Le Langue-à-langue des chiens de roche
by Daniel Danis Directed by Michel Didym
Léo
Vx-Colombier
by Molière Directed by Philippe Adrien
Deuxième Médecin, un Suisse
Vx-Colombier
The Wedding by Witold Gombrowicz Directed by Jacques Rosner
le Chancelier
Richelieu
by Nikolaï Gogol Directed by Jean-Louis Benoit
Ammos Fiodorovitch Liapkine-Tiapkine
Richelieu
Escurial et Trois acteurs, un drame...
by Michel de Ghelderode Directed by Vincent Boussard
le Moine et le Souffleur
Studio
by François Billetdoux Directed by Georges Werler
Gustav
Vx-Colombier
by Nikolaï Gogol Directed by Jean-Louis Benoit
Ammos Fiodorovitch Liapkine-Tiapkine
Richelieu
by Pierre Corneille Directed by Jacques Rosner
Timagène
Richelieu
by Nikolaï Gogol Directed by Jean-Louis Benoit
Ammos Fiodorovitch Liapkine-Tiapkine
Richelieu
by Pierre Corneille Directed by Jacques Rosner
Timagène
Richelieu
by Jean Racine Directed by Anne Delbée
Théramène
Richelieu
by Victor Hugo Directed by Jean-Paul Roussillon
Scabeau
Richelieu
The Misanthrope by Molière Directed by Simon Eine
A Guard (alternating)
Richelieu
by Jean Racine Directed by Anne Delbée
Théramène
Richelieu
by Victor Hugo Directed by Jean-Paul Roussillon
Scabeau
Richelieu
by Albert Camus Directed by Youssef Chahine
Octavius
Richelieu
by William Shakespeare Directed by Georges Lavaudant
Valtemand, Osric
Richelieu
by Carlo Goldoni Directed by Jacques Lassalle
Maître Agapito (alternating)
Richelieu
by Honoré de Balzac Directed by Jean-Paul Roussillon
Violette (alternating)
Richelieu
by Sophocle Directed by Otomar Krejca
le Chœur
Richelieu
by Honoré de Balzac Directed by Jean-Paul Roussillon
Violette
Richelieu
by Carlo Goldoni Directed by Jacques Lassalle
Maître Agapito
Richelieu
by Molière Directed by Jacques Lassalle
M. Tibaudier (en alternance)
Richelieu
by Sophocle Directed by Otomar Krejca
le Chœur
Richelieu
by Beaumarchais Directed Antoine Vitez
Brid'oison
Richelieu
by Molière Directed by Jacques Lassalle
M. Tibaudier (en alternance)
Richelieu
Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht Directed by Antoine Vitez
Priuli ; un Paysan
Richelieu
by Tennessee Williams Directed by Brigitte Jaques-Wajeman
Nonno
Odéon
by Beaumarchais Directed by Jean-Pierre Vincent
Monsieur Fal
Richelieu
by Beaumarchais Directed by Antoine Vitez
Bazile (alternatly)
Richelieu
by Beaumarchais Directed by Jean-Luc Boutté
le Notaire (en alternance)
Richelieu
by Alfred de Musset Directed by Georges Lavaudant
Philippe Strozzi
Richelieu
Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht Directed by Antoine Vitez
Priuli ; un Paysan
Richelieu
Life of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht Directed by Antoine Vitez
Priuli ; un Paysan
Richelieu
by Beaumarchais Directed by Jean-Pierre Vincent
Monsieur Fal ; le Notaire
Richelieu
by William Shakespeare Directed by Lluis Pasqual
Pierre Detouche ; William
Richelieu
by Alfred de Musset Directed by Georges Lavaudant
Philippe Strozzi
Richelieu
by William Congreve Directed by André Steiger
Foresight
Richelieu
by William Congreve Directed by André Steiger
Foresight
Richelieu
En raison du mouvement de grève nationale de ce jour suivi par une partie du personnel de la Maison, nous sommes contraints d'annuler la représentation du spectacle Cyrano de Bergerac le jeudi 5 décembre 2024 Salle Richelieu à 20h30.
Vous trouverez ci-dessous les modalités de remboursement de vos billets. Aucun report n'est possible.
Nous vous prions de bien vouloir nous excuser et vous remercions par avance pour votre patience, fidélité et soutien.
REMBOURSEMENT
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- par courriel à l'adresse billetterie.richelieu@comedie-francaise.org
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En raison du renforcement des mesures de sécurité dans le cadre du plan Vigipirate « Urgence attentat », nous vous demandons de vous présenter 30 minutes avant le début de la représentation afin de faciliter le contrôle.
Nous vous rappelons également qu’un seul sac (de type sac à main, petit sac à dos) par personne est admis dans l’enceinte des trois théâtres de la Comédie-Française. Tout spectateur se présentant muni d’autres sacs (sac de courses, bagage) ou objets encombrants, se verra interdire l’entrée des bâtiments.