Petit Théâtre de la Reine facts for kids
The Petit Théâtre de la Reine (which means "The Queen's Little Theatre") is a special small theatre. You can find it at the famous Versailles palace in France, close to the Petit Trianon. It was built in 1780 especially for Marie Antoinette, who was the Queen of France.
The Queen asked her favorite architect, Richard Mique, to design this theatre. It's quite small, with only enough seats for about 100 people. The Queen and her friends and family loved to put on their own plays and operas here. Back then, many wealthy people, called aristocrats, had similar small theatres on their large country estates. They used them for fun and entertainment.
Contents
A Hidden Gem: Inside and Out
The outside of the Petit Théâtre de la Reine looks quite plain and simple. It doesn't really stand out. But once you step inside, it's a completely different story!
Dazzling Decorations
The inside of the theatre is very rich and fancy. It's decorated with lots of gold, blue, and white colors. The walls are made of wood, but they are painted to look like expensive marble. It's a beautiful and surprising contrast to the simple exterior.
Amazing Stage Tricks
One of the coolest things about this theatre is that its original stage machinery still works! This means the old ropes, pulleys, and other devices used to change sets and create special effects are still there. Imagine how exciting it must have been to see plays performed with these old machines.
The Queen's Performances
In 1780, Queen Marie Antoinette and her friends put on a play called Le Roi et le fermier (which means "The King and the Farmer"). It was an opera written by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny in 1762.
Surviving Scenery
What's really amazing is that some of the original stage sets from that time have survived! There's a set that looks like a forest and another that looks like a rustic cottage. These sets were used for the Queen's performances.
Restored for Today
These old sets were carefully fixed up in the 1800s. They were even used again in February 2012 for new performances of Le Roi at the Versailles Opera. It's incredible that you can still see and use the same scenery that the Queen herself performed with!
Gallery
-
Entrance
-
Ceiling
-
Interior
-
Interior
-
Interior
-
Cottage set for Le Roi and le fermier
-
Exterior
