Julie Duclos directs Ruy Blas at Comédie-Française

Julie Duclos is set to direct Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas for her debut production at the Comédie-Française. The play will run until January 27 in the recently renovated Richelieu hall, which has been under renovation for six months.

New administrator entrusts Duclos with reopening

Clément Hervieu-Léger, the new general administrator of the Comédie-Française, has entrusted Duclos with the task of reopening the renovated Richelieu hall with this production. This marks a significant milestone for both Duclos and the theater company.

Duclos' innovative staging style

Duclos is known for directing large casts and employing innovative staging techniques. Her 2024 production of Grand-peur et misère du IIIe Reich by Bertolt Brecht used sliding glass panels to symbolize the rise of Nazism in Germany, showcasing her creative approach to theater.

Cast and themes of Ruy Blas

For Ruy Blas, Duclos will focus on the ensemble and the interplay between the intimate and the political, as well as the burlesque and the tragic. Stéphane Varupenne will play the titular role of Ruy Blas, a valet who rises to become a chancellor amid court intrigues. Morgane Real will portray his queen.

Duclos' theatrical background

Duclos, 41, comes from a family of theater professionals. Her parents founded a theater school in Épinay-sur-Seine, and she trained at the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique under Dominique Valadié, heir to stage director Antoine Vitez. She has been directing peers since 2009.

Duclos' approach to staging

Duclos' staging often incorporates cinematic techniques, such as pre-recorded images or live filming of actors. However, for Ruy Blas, she will not use such tools. Instead, she focuses on creating an "inner theater populated by visions" that she shares with the actors and then with the audience.

Live cinema screening of the production

The production will be shown live at the cinema on December 3 at 8:10 pm, offering audiences an alternative way to experience the performance.