Théâtre de Liège

The Théâtre de Liège is one of the four Centres Dramatiques de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Centres for Drama in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation) (Belgium). In addition to this designation comes also the one of Centre européen de création théâtrale et chorégraphique (European Centre for theatre and choreography), given its role in theatrical and contemporary dance productions and their diffusion for local, regional and international audiences.

Since the arrival of Serge Rangoni at its head in 2004, the Institution has developed significantly, presenting each season around forty shows of which ten or so are new productions.

The rich and varied programme brings to the stage productions of major theatre directors, as well as Belgian and foreign choreographers, world famous actors such as Isabelle Huppert, Mélanie Laurent, Emmanuelle Béart, Toni Servillo, Denis Podalydès… but also emerging artists, witness to today’s culture and ambassadors of tomorrow’s.

Each two years, alongside the season’s programme, the Théâtre de Liège makes the city of Liège live to the rhythm of the Émulation festival, dedicated to young French-speaking Belgian companies, who bring their freshness and impertinence to different parts of the city.

Each other year comes the international biennial “Pays de Danses”, a journey through all forms of international contemporary choreography (Batsheva Dance Company, Eun-Me Ahn Dance Company, Olivier Dubois, Constanza Macras, Virgilio Sieni, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker …) as well as the festivals “Corps de Textes” (enhancement of contemporary dramatic texts) and “IMPACT” (International Meeting in Performing Arts & Creative Technologies).

The Théâtre de Liège, situated at the heart of the Euregio-Meuse-Rhine and the Grande Région, transcends borders through its collaborations with prestigious international institutions such as the Festival d’Avignon, the Théâtres Nationaux de la Colline and de Chaillot from Paris, the Theatres of Luxembourg, Maastricht, Hasselt, and the National Theatre of Korea. But also co-productions with today’s great directors and choreographers, such as Krzysztof Warlikowski, Ivo van Hove, Katie Mitchell or even Pippo Delbono, who the theatre ensures the touring of his productions in the French-speaking world, …).

Its active participation in a wide range of European projects has strengthened its position in the international theatre area, alongside famous places such as the Maison de la danse de Lyon, the Schaubühne in Berlin, the National Theatre of Croatia in Zagreb, and the Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes.

The Théâtre de Liège is involved in the associate production of a wide range of artists’ shows from the Wallonia-Brussels Federation or supports them in their development, thanks to their partnering programme for artists (Ayelen Parolin, Aurore Fattier, Salvatore Calcagno, Thomas Hauert, le Collectif Mensuel …); by co-producing the work of foreign artists, access to the international stage, which benefits those Belgian artists supported by the theatre, is also made possible.

With an audience of 60,000 and more than 200 performances per season, the Théâtre de Liège is today the leading stage in Wallonia and has a team of about sixty permanent staff, including skilled workers of the costume and set design workshops.