Theatre : featuring shows and workshops, the curtain rises on the campuses

Culture Article published on 04 September 2025

This article was originally published in L'Édition n°27.

Université Paris-Saclay offers a wide range of shows and practical workshops throughout the year to bring theatre to life within its confines. With the Scène de recherche, theatre groups or even an improvisation workshop, here is a look at some of the initiatives that are helping people to discover theatre, whether from the audience or on the stage.

Shadow images are drawn on the canvas of the tent set up on stage. Suddenly, one of its corners opens, and a man slips his head in. "Have you ever heard of island dwarfism?" he asks. It is the start of a crazy story. That of a female mammoth who escaped from a rock face and took refuge on the T-shirt of a passing visitor. An unusual dialogue ensues, summoning creatures as incredible as dwarf elephants and a bear with antlers. This Thursday evening, the Scène de recherche (the Research Stage) is almost sold out for the performance by artist Alexis Fichet. It is another success for this stage nestled at the heart of the École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (ENS Paris-Saclay), in Gif-sur-Yvette.

Opened in 2020, the Scène de recherche is about to complete its fourth season, with record participation. "We have had over 4,900 spectators since September 2024," enthuses Gaëlle Hilaire, Audience and Communications Manager. They include students, researchers and staff from Université Paris-Saclay, as well as external visitors, including families. "Our aim is to be as accessible as possible. In fact, all our shows are free for students."

Linking the arts and sciences

During this 2024-2025 season, no fewer than 25 shows have been performed at the Scène de recherche, mainly theatre, but also circus, magic and dance. "Our programming is multidisciplinary, but we do have a clear focus," says Gaëlle Hilaire. "Our shows always propose a link between the arts and the sciences in the broadest sense. It could be physics, biology, sociology or history. The aim is for it to be artistic and entertaining, but also to teach something." Alexis Fichet's Les cyclopes étaient des éléphants nains (Cyclops were dwarf elephants) is a fine example of this.

The piece Gilles ou qu'est-ce qu'un samouraï? (Gilles or What is a Samurai?) created by Margaux Eskenazi and presented last January, is another. It was the first piece selected by the Scène de recherche programming committee, made up of students, researchers and staff from Université Paris-Saclay. This committee is tasked with seeing a number of shows in the Île-de-France region and selecting one to be included in the next programme. For the next 2025-2026 season, the choice was Tchoko, a play by Ludmilla Dabo and Olivia Mabounga about a young black girl who wants to lighten her skin.

The Scène de recherche offers more than just a stage for artists. It also encourages creativity by co-producing projects and hosting companies in residence. Since last summer, eleven companies have used the venue and its team to prepare their next work. And five of these have presented their work to the public, notably during the Festins du mardi midi (Tuesday lunchtime feasts). This free event, held once a month on Tuesdays, invites visitors to attend a 30-minute show, followed by a chat and a buffet.

Everyone on stage!

But you don't have to be a professional artist to take to the stage. To encourage talent, the Scène de recherche has created its own theatre troupe, theNouvelle troupe du plateau de Saclay (New Saclay Plateau Troupe), made up of university students. Last March, under the direction of producer Julie Timmerman, these young artists performed a piece inspired by Pierre Bourdieu and Jean-Claude Passeron's Les Héritiers (The Heirs). "We have had great feedback about this show," says Gaëlle Hilaire. "And we are already planning what the troupe will present next year." The theatre workshop, which runs from September to March, is free and open to the entire student community.

Within the university, several student associations also offer opportunities to develop acting talents. They include AZTEC Théâtre at Université Paris-Saclay's Faculty of Pharmacy, the Didascal[ENS] club at ENS Paris-Saclay, the Gueules des bois club at CentraleSupélec and the Orsay Technical Institute (IUT) theatre troupe. The fruits of their labour can be seen in one or more shows every year. In March and April, for example, the Orsay IUT troupe gave four performances, including one at the Scène de recherche, of this year's show, the musical comedy AIR. The Gueules de Bois club has staged several plays, some of which were unveiled at CentraleSupélec's Théâtre Rousseau.

Improvisational theatre also has a place at Université Paris-Saclay. It is even one of the cultural workshops offered by the Diagonale - Université's Arts, Culture, Science and Society Department. The workshop is accessible to all and aims to discover the tools and techniques of theatrical improvisation for working on oral expression. But there are also student associations such as TIPS (Paris-Saclay Improvisation Troupe), based on the Vallée campus in Orsay, and LIKA (Kachanaise Improvisation League) at ENS Paris-Saclay, which regularly organise improvisation shows and matches. The offer is there, so all you have to do is get started: ready for your next theatre trip or your first improv class?

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This article was originally published in L'Édition n°27.
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