Théâtre National de la Criée is a theatre in Marseille, France, located at 30, quai de Rive-Neuve on the Vieux-Port. Founded in 1981 by Marcel Maréchal, it has the status of Centre dramatique national. The building inherited its name from the fish market it replaced. Its façade dates to the early 20th century and is classified as a historic monument; it also bears the inscription “Criée libre aux fishes.”
The theatre currently includes a large hall with a capacity of 800 spectators and a modular hall with 280 seats designed to improve spectator and actor relations. Its hall design removes the traditional level difference between stage and audience, and it also includes some technical artifice installations. Since its opening, it has hosted over 700 performances. The theatre has been directed by Marcel Maréchal, Gildas Bourdet, and Jean-Louis Benoit, and by Macha Makeïeff since 2011. It employs about 30 staff members and also involves independent artists.
Nearby Objects
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Abbey of St. Victor 300 m away -
Maison Diamantée 500 m away -
Eglise Saint-Laurent 500 m away -
Place de Lenche 600 m away -
Notre-Dame-des-Accoules Church 600 m away
Theatre on the Vieux-Port
The Theatre National de la Criée is a theatre with the status of Centre dramatique national. It was founded in 1981 by Marcel Marechal. The theatre is located at 30, quai de Rive-Neuve in Marseille, France, on the Vieux-Port. Its position on the harbor front places it within one of the citys most recognized urban settings.
Historic Faade and Former Fish Market Use
Storia was used as a fish market building from 1909 to 1976 in the Saumaty port area of the L'Estaque district. It inherited its name from the fish market it replaced. The facade dates to the early 20th century and is classified as a historic monument. It also bears the inscription Criée libre aux fishes, linking the building to its former commercial use.
Hall Design and Theatre Role
The Theatre National de la Criee, here described through the Storia facts, consists of a large hall with a capacity of 800 spectators and a modulable hall with 280 seats. The modular hall was designed to improve relations between spectators and actors, and its layout removes the traditional difference in level between stage and audience. The hall also includes technical artifice installations. These architectural and spatial choices reflect an emphasis on direct encounter and theatrical experimentation.
The venue has hosted more than 700 performances since its opening and holds the status of Centre dramatique national. It has been directed by Marcel Marechal, Gildas Bourdet, and Jean-Louis Benoit, and has been under the direction of Macha Makeieff since 2011. The theatre states that it aims to be a workshop of theater, art, image, and fantasy. It employs about 30 staff members and also involves independent artists.
In 2021, the theatre became a site of occupation by students, artists, and technicians as part of a theater occupation movement. During that period, its lobby was occupied for seven weeks, and the large hall was occupied on May 1, 2021. The occupation turned the theatre into a place of struggle and coexistence.