Illustre Théâtre

What Illustre Théâtre does

Illustre Théâtre de Pézenas is a French non-profit theatre association (association loi 1901, SIRET 433 720 687 000 22) founded in 2001, operating from a converted 19th-century wine cellar (chai) in Pézenas, Hérault, donated by the Tastavin Padiglione family. The company specializes in classical French theatre, principally the works of Molière, performed in period-accurate 17th-century costumes with hand-painted sets by Beaux-Arts-trained designers and a commedia dell'arte trestle tradition. Its flagship offering is the annual Festival d'Été running from July 7 to August 31, presenting a different production each night of the week across approximately 8 weeks (50+ performances per summer), including Le Malade Imaginaire (in repertoire since 2013), L'Avare, Les Fourberies de Scapin, Les Précieuses Ridicules, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac, Cyrano de Bergerac (14-actor production), Le Voyage du Capitaine Fracasse, and Daniel Villanova comedy shows. Adjacent offerings include school touring productions (€13/student), theatre courses for children/teens/adults (€120-€456 annually), a 17th-century-themed on-site restaurant La Table de Maître Jacques opened May 2025, venue rental of its 250-seat main hall and 120-150-seat cabaret room, and a co-production partnership with La Compagnie des Amis de Platon for touring philosophical dialogues.

The business model combines transactional ticket sales (€25 adult / €19 reduced / €12.50 child), recurring theatre course subscriptions with free performance access included, restaurant F&B revenue, venue rental income, and recurring public subsidies from Ville de Pézenas, Région Occitanie, and Département de l'Hérault. Distribution is multi-channel: direct on-site box office, the Vostickets.eu online platform, third-party retail partners (Fnac, Carrefour, Auchan, Cora, Super U via Ticketmaster/Francebillet), school direct bookings, and venue hire. Go-to-market is hybrid — event-driven around the annual Festival d'Été, community-led through school outreach and theatre courses, and direct-to-consumer via website, social media (Facebook, Instagram), TripAdvisor reviews, and regional media partners (Radio France Bleu Hérault). Customer segments are twofold and roughly co-primary: tourists and leisure visitors to the Pézenas/Occitanie region (SMB/individual consumers seeking cultural tourism) and schools/educational institutions across France including overseas territories (vertical), with secondary segments of theatre students/amateurs and other theatre companies booking the venue. The organization maintains 4 consecutive years of TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and operates with approximately 6 core employees plus a broader ensemble of ~20+ named performers and specialized craftspeople.

Name

Illustre Théâtre

Legal name

L'ILLUSTRE THÉÂTRE DE PÉZENAS

Website

https://illustretheatre.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Illustre Théâtre de Pézenas is a French non-profit theatre association founded in 2001, performing classical Molière and French repertoire from a converted 19th-century winery in Pézenas, Hérault. It serves summer tourists, schools, and theatre students via its annual Festival d'Été, school touring, courses, and on-site restaurant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Classical French comedy
• Summer theatre festival
• School theatre programs
• Theatre training courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Pézenas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Live Performance Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream. Tickets are sold for Festival d'Été performances, school performances, touring shows, and special events. Standard adult tickets are €25, reduced tickets €19, and child tickets €12.50. School performances are €13 per student. Revenue is collected via the theatre's own box office, Vostickets.eu online platform, and third-party retail partners (Fnac, Carrefour, Auchan, Cora, Super U).
2. Restaurant — La Table de Maître Jacques: An on-site 17th-century-themed restaurant operated by the theatre, open Wednesday through Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch. During the Festival d'Été, it is open every evening. The restaurant drives pre-show dining revenue and is marketed as part of the overall theatre experience.
3. Theatre Courses and Workshops: Annual theatre courses for children (ages 7–12), teenagers, and adults taught by professional actors Pierre-Luc Scotto, Théo Gerey, and Véronique Valéry. Courses cost €120–€145 per term (€360–€456 annually), with a 10% discount for second family members. Course enrollment also grants free access to most theatre performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Illustre Théâtre (L'Illustre Théâtre de Pézenas) is a non-profit theatre association that produces and stages live classical French theatre productions, primarily the works of Molière. The company operates from a converted 19th-century winery in Pézenas, France, running an annual summer Festival d'Été (July 7 to August 31) featuring a different performance each night of the week, plus touring school performances, year-round theatre courses, and venue rental services.

Product overview

Illustre Théâtre is a nonprofit theater association (SIRET 433 720 687 000 22) based in Pézenas, France, offering a unified portfolio of live theatrical productions and educational services. The core product is the annual Festival d'Été (Summer Festival) featuring nightly performances of Molière comedies (Le Malade Imaginaire, L'Avare, Les Précieuses Ridicules, Les Fourberies de Scapin, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac), Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, and adaptations of Théophile Gautier's Le Voyage du Capitaine Fracasse. The portfolio also includes coproductions with La Compagnie des Amis de Platon (philosophical dialogues including La République, Gorgias, Hippias), original creations like Holà! Hé! Sganarelle! (2022) and puppet versions of Le Misanthrope. Supporting offerings include theater courses for children, teenagers, and adults; school performances (Représentations Scolaires); venue rental; a period-themed restaurant (La Table de Maître Jacques); and professional resources (press kits, technical sheets). The company operates from a 19th-century former wine cellar (chai) with outdoor garden performances during summer. No SaaS platform, API, or technology product components are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Table de Maître Jacques: On-site restaurant operated by the theater, offering 17th-century inspired cuisine in a historic setting.

Products and services

• Festival d'Été (Summer Festival) Annual flagship event offering nightly live performances of Molière comedies (Le Malade Imaginaire, L'Avare, Les Fourberies de Scapin, Les Précieuses Ridicules, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Monsieur de Pourceaugnac), Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, and adaptations such as Le Voyage du Capitaine Fracasse, performed in an outdoor garden setting with post-show wine tastings. Targeted at tourists, families, and individual theatre-goers.
• Représentations Scolaires (School Performances) Curriculum-aligned theatre performances designed for primary, secondary (collège/lycée), and university audiences featuring Molière plays and Platonic philosophy dialogues, offered at €13 per student at the theatre or as touring productions at schools. Includes post-show Bord de Scène discussions with actors. Eligible for Pass Culture Collectif funding.
• Cours de Théâtre (Theatre Classes) Weekly acting classes (1.5–2 hour sessions) offered across three trimesters per academic year, taught by professional actors. Priced at €120–€145 per trimester (€360–€435 annually), with a 10% discount for a second family member or second course. Course enrollment includes free access to most theatre performances.
• La Table de Maître Jacques On-site period-themed restaurant offering 17th-century-inspired cuisine in a historic setting, complementing the pre-theatre dining experience for Festival d'Été visitors. Open Wednesday through Saturday evenings and Sunday lunch during regular season, and every evening during the summer festival.
• Dialogues de Platon (Co-productions with La Compagnie des Amis de Platon) Philosophy-oriented theatre productions adapting Plato's dialogues (Phèdre, Hippias Majeur, L'Apologie de Socrate, Ménon, Gorgias, La République), co-produced with La Compagnie des Amis de Platon and toured to schools and venues throughout France and French overseas territories.
• Venue Rental & Artistic Residencies Rental of the theatre's two equipped performance spaces (250-seat grande salle and 120-150-seat cabaret room) plus a studio apartment for multi-day artistic residency sessions, with technical staff support available for visiting productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Festival d'Été: 1 different show every night, 7 nights a week, for ~8 weeks (50+ performances per summer)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville de PézenascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipal government of Pézenas is a key institutional partner. The city co-produced the 2022 creation 'Holà! Hé! Sganarelle!' for the 400th anniversary of Molière's birth. The theatre is listed as a recommended attraction on the Ville de Pézenas website and tourism portal (Le théâtre dans tous ses états). The city's ongoing support includes festival programming collaboration and promotional integration.
• Région OccitaniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Occitanie regional council is listed as an institutional partner, providing regional government support and funding for the theatre's operations and programming as part of its cultural development mandate.
• Département de l'HéraultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hérault department council is listed as an institutional partner supporting the theatre's activities as part of its departmental cultural policy.
• Communauté d'agglomération Hérault MéditerranéeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hérault Méditerranée inter-municipal community supports the theatre as part of its broader economic and tourism development strategy for the agglomeration.
• Office du tourisme du Cap d'Agde MéditerranéeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Cap d'Agde Méditerranée tourist office promotes the theatre as part of its cultural tourism offering to visitors to the area, serving as a referral and marketing channel.
• Radio France Bleu HéraultminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional public radio station for Hérault is listed as a media partner, providing broadcast coverage and interviews to promote the theatre's programming to its regional listenership.
• Les Caves MolièreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal wine cave (cave à vins) in Pézenas is listed as a partner, likely supplying wine for the post-show wine tastings (vin d'honneur) offered to audiences after each performance.
• La Compagnie des Amis de PlatoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGérard Mascot (director of L'illustre Théâtre) also directs La Compagnie des Amis de Platon. The two companies co-produce Platonic philosophy performances (La République, Gorgias, Hippias Majeur, L'Apologie de Socrate, Ménon, Phèdre) that are toured to schools and venues throughout France and French overseas territories. This partnership expands the theatre's educational offering beyond Molière to include classical philosophy.
• Olivier LeBaron (photographer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional photographer Olivier LeBaron is listed as a partner and has photographed numerous productions for the theatre (credited on Les Précieuses Ridicules, Le Misanthrope marionnettes, and other productions), providing high-quality promotional imagery.
• Ticketmaster / Francebillet (via Fnac, Carrefour, Auchan, Cora, Super U)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTickets for L'illustre Théâtre performances are sold through the Ticketmaster/Francebillet distribution network at major French retail chains: Auchan (Béziers), Carrefour, Super U (Roujan), Fnac, and Cora. This extends ticket availability to customers across France through established retail outlets.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Th\u00e9\u00e2tre National de Toulouse Midi-Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es: National theatre in the broader Occitanie region with classical and contemporary programming plus educational outreach; a regional incumbent that competes for the same institutional subsidies and school-touring budgets as L'illustre Th\u00e9\u00e2tre.
• Com\u00e9die de Gen\u00e8ve: Francophone Swiss theatre producing classical and contemporary French-language repertoire with educational programming; a structural peer in a different but adjacent Francophone market.
• Com\u00e9die de Reims (Centre Dramatique National): French CDN producing a multi-show repertory season with strong school-touring and educational programmes, sharing L'illustre Th\u00e9\u00e2tre's blend of classical repertoire, education, and community touring \u2014 though at considerably larger scale and with national CDN funding.
• Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de la Manufacture (Lausanne): Francophone Swiss repertory theatre with classical and contemporary programming, school performances, and on-site restaurant/bar \u2014 a structural analogue though operating in a different country.
• Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de Carouge (Gen\u00e8ve): Independent Geneva-based theatre producing a season of French-language plays in a heritage venue, with an analogous model of classical repertoire in a converted historic building outside Paris.

Direct peers

• Compagnie des Amis de Platon: Philosophy-theatre company co-directed by G\u00e9rard Mascot that co-produces and tours Platonic dialogues (La R\u00e9publique, Gorgias, Hippias) with L'illustre Th\u00e9\u00e2tre to schools across France. Operates the same touring business model and shares artistic leadership, making it the closest operational peer.
• Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de l'Atelier (Paris): Independent Paris theatre with classical French and contemporary programming, restaurant/dining integration, and educational offerings; a direct French peer at the larger end of the independent-theatre category.
• Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Ch\u00eane Noir (Avignon): Independent Avignon-based theatre founded by Alain Timar that produces a long-running summer repertory season of classical and contemporary plays in a heritage venue, very similar to L'illustre Th\u00e9\u00e2tre's P\u00e9zenas summer festival model in scope and audience proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Festival d'Avignon (Festival In): France's flagship summer performing arts festival in nearby Provence, with which L'illustre Th\u00e9\u00e2tre's Festival d'\u00c9t\u00e9 competes for tourist attention and touring-company bookings. A broader incumbent at much larger scale.
• Com\u00e9die-Fran\u00e7aise: The French national classical theatre company that holds canonical rights and prestige around Moli\u00e8re; a broad incumbent whose touring productions and Salle Richelieu repertoire compete for the same classical-French-theatre audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/illustretheatrepezenas
• Instagraminstagram.com/illustretheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illustre-th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illustre Théâtre