Paris- City of Love! A city whose heart still beats to the time when poets and artists were inspired by the Seine. Paris- City of Love! The city whose charming mystique extends to the theatral dramatique. Paris- City of Love! For those for whom the theatre is their scene, the Théâtre Essaïon is now staging Valjean!

At the twilight of his life, Jean Valjean confesses. He reveals his darkest secrets, his struggles, his sacrifices. A deeply moving plunge into the soul of a man in search of justice and redemption. Strength and humility intertwine in this poignant face-to-face encounter with one of literature’s most iconic characters.

Victor Hugo’s theatrical masterpiece, Valjean! Inspired by Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, this critically acclaimed production, which has been celebrated in Paris and Avignon for ten years, now returns in a reconceptualised version that is more intimate and heightened. For Victor Hugo fans, and, in particular, those of you who adore the novel Les Misérables, this play is Parisian theatre at its finest. Staged in a truly hidden Parisian treasure, the Théâtre Essaïon is the result of a clash of ages. In the 1970s, a contemporary theatre troupe established this local playhouse in a medieval vaulted cave deep in central Paris. Be transported back in time as you enter this unique venue in the old basement of what was once a luxurious Parisian hotel. The plot of the drama Valjean centres on Jean Valjean, an ex-convict in nineteenth-century France. After being released from prison after nineteen years, Valjean is pursued by the police inspector Javert. He encounters several characters, including Fantine, a single mother who works as a prostitute to support her daughter, Cosette, and Marius, a student and revolutionary who falls in love with Cosette. Valjean’s journey involves reformation, redemption, and a struggle against societal injustices, ultimately culminating in a decisive moment during the Paris Uprising of 1832. The play explores themes of forgiveness, justice, and the strength of the human spirit in the face of tragedy. The delightful people at the Théâtre Essaïon have kindly prepared this trailer in the link below, which, given it’s ‘Hump Day’, again, will only occupy eighty seconds of your time to enjoy:

The world of theatre is ubiquitous in its reach, and all of the world is its stage. De Paris avec amour, et vous allez adorer les productions théâtrales parisiennes.