Petit théâtre

You may have noticed that the market hall seems to be sandwiched between two large buildings. We’ve already looked at the town hall, so now let’s turn to the one on the other side: the Petit Théâtre. It may not look quite like the kind of building you picture when you think of a theater, and there’s a good reason for that.

When it was built in the early 20th century, it was designed to serve two very different purposes. The ground floor housed the local court, while upstairs was a reception hall that later became the Petit Théâtre. So in just a few steps, you could go from courtroom verdicts to an evening’s entertainment!

But the real surprise is inside. Behind the fairly understated facade, the auditorium features Art Nouveau-inspired details, including decorative ironwork along the staircase and around the balconies. The layout follows the traditional Italian-style theater design, with the audience facing the stage and balconies wrapping around part of the room.

It creates an intimate atmosphere where you feel close to the performers… but it also gives you the perfect chance to sneak a glance at the rest of the audience. After all, going to the theater used to be as much about being seen as it was about watching the show!

The Petit Théâtre also says a lot about Auray’s ambitions at the time. The town no longer wanted to focus only on government, trade, and justice; it also wanted to give its residents a genuine place for entertainment and culture. And it certainly didn’t do things by halves, because an Italian-style theater in a town this size is fairly unusual.

Now protected as a historic monument, the Petit Théâtre is one of those hidden gems you could easily walk past without realizing what lies behind its facade.