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Café-théâtre (French pronunciation:[kafeteɑtʁ]) is the name given inFrance to small-sizedtheatre venues where patrons may also order drinks as they watch theperformances. Café-théâtres developed in France from the late 1960s, hosting spectacles that were mostly unconventional or of limited means, and could range from ordinary theatrical presentations tostand-up comedy, singing tours, and evenimprovisational theatre.
Bernard Da Costa created the first Parisian café-théâtre in 1966 at the Royal Café. Other notable theatres include theCafé de la Gare, founded in 1968 byRomain Bouteille andSotha, along with other performers that includedColuche,Patrick Dewaere,Henri Guybet, andMiou-Miou;[1]Le Splendid, founded in 1974 by a collective of actors includingMichel Blanc,Gérard Jugnot,Josiane Balasko,Christian Clavier,Thierry Lhermitte andMarie-Anne Chazel;La Veuve Pichard (later renamedLe Point Virgule) founded in 1975 byGérard Lanvin,Martin Lamotte andAnémone.[2]
Performers who had debuted in café-théâtre gradually became film stars in France in the course of the 1970s, as their style of comedy was exported to the screen. By the 1980s, most of France's new comedy stars, notably the members of Le Splendid'stroupe, had begun their career in café-théâtres.[3]
British director Derek Woodward created a touring Theatre Company called 'Cafe Theatre' in the mid-1980s. It was aDinner Theatre ensemble that rivalled British Airways Playhouse productions in the Middle and Far East.
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