Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire

What Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire does

Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire is a Centre Dramatique National (National Drama Center) located in Vire Normandie, France, operating as a designated public theater under the French Ministry of Culture since 2017. Founded in 1978 and based at its current Vire site since the 1996 inauguration of a building designed by architect Jean-Jacques Morisseau, the institution is legally structured as an SARL (private limited company) with registered capital of €7,622.45. Its core function is the creation, production, and dissemination of live theatrical works, organized around an annual season of approximately 19 productions, two annual festivals (Festival ADO for adolescents and Festival À VIF for school audiences, plus the Les Feux de Vire winter festival and the Focus Cirque programming), and artist residencies. Operational infrastructure includes a 1,930 m² construction workshop averaging 6 stage sets per year and a main hall with beech-wood acoustics.

The institution's customer base spans multiple segments served through a hybrid direct-to-consumer and event-driven model: general public theatergoers via ticketed performances and subscriptions (full price €16, reduced €5, group €10, season passes €20-€100); schools from maternelle through lycée at a €5 flat rate; families under 'Le Préau en Famille' pricing; rural Bocage communities across Calvados, Manche, and Orne through the 'Par le Bocage' decentralized program across 9+ communes; workshop participants (children to adults); and national audiences via touring productions to partner theaters in the PAN network (7 Normandy theaters) and beyond. Revenue is generated through four streams: public subsidies (Ministry of Culture/DRAC Normandie, Région Normandie, Ville de Vire, departments of Calvados, Manche, Orne), ticket sales and subscriptions, workshop and training fees (€0-€240), and bar/catering services (Tart'in meal at €9, beverages). Partnerships span core coproduction (La Chair du Monde, Dakh Daughters), the PAN network, academic collaboration with ENS Paris-Saclay, and touring partnerships with national CDNs and Scènes nationales.

Charlotte Lagrange succeeded Lucie Berelowitsch as Directrice on January 1, 2026, bringing her company La Chair du Monde and a project emphasizing popular theater and encounters between artists and territorial residents. The permanent team of 7 includes Direction, Administration/Production, Audience Relations/Communication/Box Office/Bar, and Technique functions, supplemented by intermittent performers and artists. The organization does not disclose revenue or operating budget figures.

Name

Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire

Legal name

Centre Dramatique National de Normandie – Vire

Website

https://lepreaucdn.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire is a French National Drama Center (Centre Dramatique National) based in Vire, producing and touring live theater across rural Normandy through seasonal programming, festivals, school programs, and decentralized outreach to three departments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Performing arts center
• Theatrical season programming
• Community theater workshops
• Rural performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Vire Normandie

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Subsidies: Government funding from Ministry of Culture (DRAC Normandie), Normandy Region, Calvados, Manche, and Orne departments, and Ville de Normandie-Vire. The theater is an SARL (limited company) with registered capital of €7,622.45.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual performance tickets, season subscriptions (Abonnement Aventure, Carte Liberté, Pass Saison), and group bookings at various price points from €5-€16.
3. Workshop and Training Fees: Fees for theatrical workshops for children, teenagers, and adults, ranging from free (for some youth programs) to €200-€240 annually.
4. Bar and Catering Services: Tart'in meal formula at €9 and beverage sales at the theater bar, serving up to 80 covers before and after performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire is a Centre Dramatique National (National Drama Center) that produces and presents live theatrical performances across an annual season of approximately 19 productions, supplemented by festivals, educational programming, artist residencies, theater workshops, and deconcentrated touring across the Bocage region (Calvados, Manche, Orne). The organization also operates a 1,930 m² construction workshop for set building, a public bar/catering service, and accessibility services for diverse audiences including families, students, and rural communities.

Product overview

Le Préau CDN de Normandie-Vire is a Centre Dramatique National (National Drama Center) serving as a theater creation house, not a unified software product. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected theater services including: main season programming (approximately 19 annual productions), the Festival À VIF for teenagers, the Les Feux de Vire winter festival, school educational programs, Par le Bocage regional decentralization programming, artist residencies, a construction workshop, theater workshops for all ages, family programming, online ticketing, and accessibility services. The core offering is live performing arts creation and dissemination across three departments (Calvados, Orne, Manche) in Normandy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festival ADO: Annual festival for teenagers held each May, featuring contemporary theater, dance, music, and object theater.
• Festival À VIF
• Feux de Vire
• Par le Bocage
• Le Préau en famille
• Pour les scolaires
• Focus Cirque

Products and services

• Programmation Saison (Season Programming) Annual theater season presenting approximately 19 productions across genres including contemporary theater, circus, electro-creole opera, dance, family shows, and immersive performances, plus two annual festivals (Festival À VIF for teenagers and Les Feux de Vire winter festival). Targeted at general audiences, families, schools, and rural communities in Normandy.
• Festival À VIF Annual festival dedicated to teenagers from 4th grade to terminale, featuring dance, theater, object theater, and music performances, including a parcours journée and educational activities.
• Les Feux de Vire Winter festival held from late November to mid-December featuring stories, musical siestes, family performances, and café éphémère events for all ages.
• Par le Bocage

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PAN - Producteurs Associés de NormandiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 7 Normandy theaters (Comédie de Caen, CDN Rouen, Le Tangram Evreux, SN61 Alençon, DSN Dieppe, Le Volcan Le Havre, Le Préau) for joint production, coproduction, and touring of theatrical works.
• La Chair du MondecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany of artistic director Charlotte Lagrange (current Directrice of Le Préau). Coproduction of her creations including L'Araignée and Quand la ville se lève. Strategic partnership now extending to production and touring.
• Ministère de la Culture - DRAC NormandiecoreOthersPrimary public funding body providing operational and programmatic subsidies to the theater as a designated Centre Dramatique National.
• Région NormandiecoreOthersRegional council providing financial support for theater operations, productions, and territorial cultural development.
• Départements Calvados, Manche, OrnecoreOthersThree Normandy departments providing departmental cultural subsidies for territorial programming and outreach activities.
• Ville de Normandie-VirecoreOthersMunicipal government of Vire providing local funding and hosting the theater facilities.
• FAB - Fabriqué à BellevillemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoproduction partner for Charlotte Lagrange's creation 'Quand la ville se lève', contributing to the national touring production.
• Théâtre de l'Union CDN du LimousinmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoproduction partner and touring venue for Le Préau productions, including 'Quand la ville se lève' and 'Je crée et je vous dis pourquoi'.
• ACB Scène nationale de Bar le DucmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational coproduction partner hosting touring productions including 'Quand la ville se lève'.
• La Scène de recherche / ENS Paris-SaclaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic-theatrical partnership for research and creation, co-publishes Charlotte Lagrange's text 'Quand la ville se lève' in the Pourparlers collection.
• Théâtre Joliette MarseillemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoproduction and touring partner for Le Préau productions in southern France.
• Théâtre des Îlets CDN MontluçonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoproduction partner and touring venue for 'Quand la ville se lève'.
• Dakh DaughterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUkrainian artistic collective (Natacha Charpe, Natalka Halanevych, Ruslana Khazipova, Solomia Melnyk, Anna Nikitina) in artistic residence at Le Préau following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Associated artists for seasons 25/26, participating in multiple productions including 'Sorcières' and 'La Chanson de la forêt'.
• Communes du BocagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with 9+ Bocage communes (Tessy-Bocage, Condé-sur-Vire, Noues de Sienne, Souleuvre-en-Bocage, Condé-en-Normandie, Domfront-en-Poiraie, Passais-Villages) for deconcentrated programming and theatrical outreach.
• Lycée Marie Curie ViremajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partner for theater options, specialty programs, and Festival ADO venue.
• Lycée MermozmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partner for theater programs and Festival ADO venue for performances.
• MJC de ViremajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for children's reception during performances (ephemeral childcare service) and youth programming.
• Université Inter-AgeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for adult educational programming and lifelong learning theater activities.
• Comité d'Animation du Quartier de la GareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal neighborhood committee partner for café éphémère events and community programming.
• 11 • AvignonmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAvignon OFF festival venue hosting 'Quand la ville se lève' during the July 2026 festival run (4-23 July 2026).
• Festival Spring (Plateforme 2 Pôles Cirque Normandie)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with regional circus festival bringing circus programming to Vire, including 'Seul Duel' performance at the Hippodrome.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SN61 - Scène nationale 61 (Alençon): PAN network partner based in Alençon (Orne department, part of Le Préau's territorial reach). Shares the scènes nationales funding framework and serves a comparable rural Normandy catchment.
• TJP - CDN de Strasbourg: Touring partner CDN hosting Le Préau productions. Comparable CDN mandate and institutional scale, with a similar public-theater funding mix and creation/dissemination mission.
• CDN de Normandie-Rouen: Rouen-based CDN and PAN network partner with the same national designation and subsidy framework as Le Préau. Operates a similar season-plus-festival model and shares coproduction and touring relationships across the Normandy region.
• Le Volcan - Scène nationale du Havre: Scène nationale in Le Havre and PAN network partner. Comparable programming scale and public-theater mission across Normandy, with overlapping coproduction relationships and audience-development obligations in a non-Paris metropolitan area.
• Comédie de Saint-Étienne - CDN: Mid-sized CDN with comparable public-theater structure, multi-departmental touring obligations, and season-plus-festival programming. Useful peer for benchmarking Le Préau's CDN economics outside Normandy.
• Théâtre des Îlets - CDN de Montluçon: CDN with a touring/coproduction relationship with Le Préau (hosting Quand la ville se lève). Comparable CDN structure with rural-territory focus and a similar season-plus-touring revenue mix.
• Comédie de Caen (CDN de Normandie): Fellow CDN and PAN network partner in Normandy, with a comparable public-theater production and touring mandate. Shares institutional structure (subsidized CDN, coproduction network member), regional ecosystem, and artistic mission around contemporary creation.
• Théâtre de l'Union - CDN du Limousin: CDN with comparable rural-territory positioning in Limoges and a documented touring partnership with Le Préau (coproduction on Quand la ville se lève and Je crée et je vous dis pourquoi). Shares CDN designation and artist-residency model.
• DSN Dieppe (Scène nationale): PAN network partner and Seine-Maritime scène nationale. Operates with a similar public-theater model (season programming, touring, audience outreach) and participates in the same coproduction ecosystem as Le Préau.
• Le Tangram - Scène nationale d'Évreux: PAN network partner in Évreux with the same scènes nationales designation and coproduction model. Comparable scale of operation and overlapping regional touring obligations in Normandy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lepreaucdn

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

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Frequently asked questions about Le Préau CDN Normandie-Vire