The TNN Celebrates the End of the Year and Opens 2026 Under the Sign of Sharing and Creativity

As the holiday season approaches, the Théâtre National de Nice prepares to close the year in style. For this cultural celebration, Hervé Van der Meulen calls upon Rabelais and his legendary Gargantua, offering audiences a festive, overflowing creation from December 16th to 20th. The TNN troupe embraces a joyful, exuberant, and insolent language, like a remedy for human sorrows — and especially one of the most stubborn: melancholy.

The power of words will also shine on December 13th with Le Père Noël en Slam, a creation by Jacky Ido in collaboration with Susie Morgenstern, a festive moment to enjoy with the whole family.
To extend the magic of the season, the theatre also offers its Christmas Gift Boxes, available online.

Trajectoires 2026: three performances exploring life stories

The year 2026 will begin with a spirit of gathering thanks to Trajectoires, a festival that brings together six venues in the Alpes-Maritimes around intimate and universal narratives. The TNN will present three compelling works:

• À l’ombre du réverbère (January 27–29), a powerful account by Redwane Rajel: a journey from delinquency to resilience, in a deeply human solo performance.

• Petite Touche (February 5–7), a poetic puppet show blending illusion and reality.

• L’Extraordinaire Destinée de Sarah Bernhardt (January 28–31), starring Estelle Meyer, a vibrant theatrical fresco dedicated to the “divine” Sarah Bernhardt, who passed away exactly one hundred years ago.

The “Tout en couleurs” season honors women’s voices

In 2026, the TNN shines a spotlight on strong and unforgettable female figures, through three major productions:

• La Guerre n’a pas un visage de femme (January 8–9), based on Svetlana Alexievitch and directed by Julie Deliquet: an immersion into the voices of Soviet women who took part in World War II.

• Le Procès de Jeanne (February 4–6), with Judith Chemla, portraying a powerful, rebellious Joan of Arc.

• Bovary Madame (March 12–13), by Christophe Honoré, a “piste-theatre” where Ludivine Sagnier embodies a heroine hungry for freedom.

Major directors and contemporary voices: a vibrant start to the year

Early 2026 will feature major names of the theatrical scene:

• Christophe Perton directs Scenes from a Marriage (February 11–13) from Bergman, featuring Romane Bohringer and Stanislas Nordey.

• Julie Duclos stages Fear and Misery of the Third Reich (March 4–5) by Brecht.

• David Lescot presents the third part of his series on adolescence: Je suis trop vert (March 12–14).

• Valère Novarina is performed for the first time in Nice with Les Personnages de la pensée (March 19–20).

• Charles Berling stages two plays by Lars Noren:

  • Lost and Found (March 25–28)

  • C’est si simple l’amour (March 31–April 2)
    Two gripping chamber pieces exploring family and marital relationships.

A multidisciplinary CDN: object theatre, circus, and magic

The TNN proudly embraces its multidisciplinary identity:

• Fusées (January 22–24) by Jeanne Candel: a poetic, cosmic object-theatre performance.

• Failles (February 12–13) by Laurette Goujeon: a bold circus piece set amid mountains and voids.

• 4th Magic Festival, returning in April 2026, with full programming to be announced soon.

A “satellite” programme to strengthen the connection with audiences

Throughout the year, the TNN offers initiatives fostering dialogue and discovery:

• Conversation Intime, curated by Catherine Ceylac.

• Les Procès du samedi, in collaboration with the Nice Bar Association.

• Les Jeudis littéraires, weekly readings.

• À voix haute, the TNN theatre school.

• Lab’oratoire, a course dedicated to spoken performance.

All resources (press kit 25/26, full programme, teaser, visual assets) are available through the links provided by the theatre.