20 Christmas gift ideas for theatre lovers

The countdown to Christmas Eve has already started. Are you about to open a box of chocolate from your Chocolate Advent Calendar but don't have a Christmas present for your theatre-loving friend, partner or cousin? No problem! We're here to guide you and suggest the best gift ideas for theatre lovers.
In this article, you will find the best shows to offer as a gift to others or to attend yourself, as a couple or with the family. We also elaborated numerous ideas on gifts which will ensure a memorable Christmas.

OFFER A THEATRE IN PARIS VOUCHER

Want to gift your theatre-loving friend a ticket to the show but don't know which one to choose? We have a solution by offering you a Theatre in Paris voucher! It is valid for ALL shows and tours which are sold on our website for a period of 12 months! It is the perfect gift for those who can’t live without the theatre. Just choose the amount of your gift voucher and send it to your friend or loved one. The lucky recipient will be able to choose the show and experience a superb evening at the theatre. With this voucher, you are sure to please!
For Christmas, offer theatre!

La Bayadère ©Little Shao / OnP

Le Parc ©Eleonora Abbagnato / OnP

The greatest of classical and contemporary ballets

La Bayadère

This year will bring back a classical ballet! Let yourself be enchanted by the sublime choreography of Rudolf Nureyev in his ultimate ballet La Bayadère . This ballet is considered to be one of the jewels in the repertoires of the Paris Opera. You will have a chance to see a famous piece of “Kingdom of the Dead”. The ballet will be performed at the Opéra Bastille from December 4th to January 2nd, 2021. An ideal gift for Christmas! Book your tickets for La Bayadère here .

Two ballets by Angelin Preljocaj

The French choreographer is famous all over the world for his contemporary choreographic language which is strongly inspired by the classical technique. Before his debut in 1984, he created more than 60 choreographic pieces. Many of them have entered the repertoire of the Paris Opera Ballet. This season, the Paris Opera will resume the sublime ballet Le Parc , created in 1994 to the music of Mozart. The ballet explores the path of love and seduction, transporting us to the King's court, but also to our contemporary world. With La Fresque playing at the Royal Opera of Versailles, the dancers of the Ballet Preljocaj will transport us inside a tale which conects real and imaginary. It is an emotional visual journey that you will never forget.
For Christmas, introduce your loved ones to the fantastic world of Preljocaj.

©MACONETLESQUOY

MACON & LESQUOY EMBROIDERED BROOCHES

For more than 10 years, the Macon & Lesquoy brand has been creating absolutely magnificent hand-embroidered brooches and patches. The brooches embroidered with golden thread have even appeared on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival on several occasions! The Comédie-Française and Macon & Lesquoy have teamed up to create a wonderful theatre collection. There are "Comédienne" or "Tragédien" brooches, a theatre mask brooch, as well as a brooch representing a plume, reminiscent of that of Cyrano de Bergerac! A great gift to give and wear proudly on your next visit to the theatre. Find all the theatre brooches on the Macon & Lesquoy website.

IONESCO PLAYS AT THÉÂTRE DE LA HUCHETTE

The Bald Soprano and The Lesson will continue to be performed in the legendary Théâtre de la Huchette Starting from Saturday, December 5th. Both plays were first introduced by Eugene Ionesco in the 1950’s and quickly became popular. What makes them so special? There are still many disputes behind the meaning of those plays. The best way to find out is to see the show through your own perception and make yourself familiar with the concept of the “Theatre of the Absurd”. You can book both Ionesco’s masterpiece plays in a single package.

©Arteum

©Arteum

SOUVENIR GIFTS FROM THE PARIS OPERA

The Paris Opera is a perfect source of inspiration for unusual gifts! On the Opera's online store you can find sublime red velvet pouches, reminiscent of the seats in its hall, as well as honey made on the roofs of the national monument.
The Opera`s gift shop is a kind of Ali Baba’s cave for the culture lovers. Among other things, it offers a number of legendary shows of the Paris Opera on DVD, or a book revealing its secrets and legends surrounding the famous ghost. Our favorite items in there are opera glasses, a beautiful black pouch with the Opera embroidered in gold and the berets by Maison Laulhère.
All these products will make perfect gifts for all theatre lovers! You can find them either in the gift shop during your next outing at the Palais Garnier or the Opéra Bastille, or on the Paris Opera`s online store.
Find the online store of the Paris Opera here.

OPERA AND CONCERTS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC

Christmas is not Christmas without its songs and music. This year, come and enjoy a timeless moment with our classical music concerts. Whether it's chamber music at the Palais Garnier or Christmas carols at the Sainte-Chapelle, you are sure to find a concert that will please you. On our website you may find more than 15 different concerts in the most beautiful Parisian theatres.

AT THE THEATRE DES CHAMPS-ELYSÉES

If you want to have a nice family outing during the day, we recommend the Sunday morning concerts which last 1 hour and will be a great way to get familiar with the classical repertoire. The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées offers a superb season of concerts throughout 2021, including song, piano recitals and concerts by orchestras from all over the world which will make the most beautiful works of Debussy, Chopin resonate, Beethoven, Wagner and Mozart. Discover all our shows at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

AT THE OPÉRA BASTILLE AND THE PALAIS GARNIER

What a wonderful season! The Paris Opera is pleasing us with its programming for the year 2021. You may experience a sublime concerts by the students of the Opera Academy, the next stars of classical music!
Let yourself be enchanted by the astonishing selection of operas that will be on stages in both theatres. The Magic Flute by Mozart, Carmen by Bizet, Capriccio by Strauss, three masterpieces by Verdi: La Traviata, Le Trouvère and Aïda and also Faust by Gounod… As you might see, the Paris Opera have a lot to offer for this new year. But that's not all! Want to make your evening even more special? Thanks to our premium offers, you will be able to enjoy an exquisite champagne, a selection of delicious petits-fours in the exclusive Opera lounges and be charmed by the amazing operas from the best seats! For Christmas, treat yourself with an exceptional evening at the Opera.

TEA «CÔTÉ COUR» AND «CÔTÉ JARDIN» AT THE PALAIS DES THÉS

Do you know where the terms cour (stage left) and jardin (stage right) come from? They are used in theatrical language to refer to the right and left sides of the stage. In the middle of the 18th century, the comedians of the Comédie-Française moved into the Salle des Machines of the Palais des Tuileries. To the right of the stage stood the Tuileries garden and to the left of the stage was the courtyard of the Louvre. Both designations have since entered the theatrical vocabulary.
If you want to make a delicious gift with a nod to the recipient’s fine knowledge of the theatrical language, we have the solution just for you! The Palais des Thés offers its teas created for the Louvre Museum: the «Côté Jardin», green tea with notes of apple, plum and quince, or the «Côté Cour», black tea with notes of citrus and wild blackberry. A perfect gift that will plunge you into theatrical atmosphere in a sip!
Discover the Collections of Teas of the Louvre by the Palais des Thés.

A dinner at the cabaret

The Lido de Paris

Make your Christmas unforgettable by attending the Lido De Paris Cabaret Show which is coming back in December. This famous, breathtaking revue is one of the oldest cabarets shows in Paris. Singers, dancers and acrobats meet on one stage to enrich your day with fantastic experiences. To make your outing even better, we offer you to try one of the exclusive add-ons upon booking such as champagne, celebrations cake or macarons, amazing dinner, VIP seating, exclusive picture with the dancers, or even an after-show dance party!

The Paradis Latin

Treat yourself with an amazing evening at the Paradis Latin and discover the authentic French Cancan. Let yourself be charmed by the incredible L’Oiseau Paradis show, choreographed and directed by Kamel Ouali. This glamorous performance has a lot to offer!
Transform your evening at the cabaret into a unique experience with our Prestige Evening offer. Before the show, enjoy a three-course gourmet dinner where you can choose between several exquisite French cuisine dishes!

©Lily Poule

©Lily Poule

A NOTEBOOK TO WRITE ABOUT ALL YOUR CULTURAL OUTINGS

The lucky recipient of this sublime gift can easily use it as a theatre diary: glue his entry tickets inside, write down all his impressions on a play or even collect the autographs of his favorite actors. The Lily Poule brand has created, in partnership with the Comédie-Française, a series of five superbly designed notebooks representing Molière and his characters. For example, Monsieur Jourdain from Bourgeois Gentilhomme or the dramatist from Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold. Very beautiful 40-pages lined notebooks made in France! You will fall in love and become inseparable shortly.
Lily Poule offers a range of other gifts that will appeal to the whole family, like memory games to recompose the most famous theatre tirades or a mime game. Find all the Molière and his characters notebooks by Lily Poule here.

CLASSIC PLAYS AT THÉÂTRE RANELAGH

this is a wonderful way to say goodbye to 2020. For many years the Ranelagh Theatre has been pleasing us with astonishing staging of classical French plays. Their shows and musical performances highlight the acoustics of this beautiful French-style auditorium. This time the Ranelagh Theatre is welcoming spectators to present the greatest classics of French theatre such as Cyrano de Bergerac, The CID, Molière's Dom Juan and Molière's The Miser.

OPERA GLASSES

Here comes our last, but not the least gift suggestion: theatre and opera glasses! How many times have you dreamed of being able to discern the smallest details of sets and costumes or to get a closer look at an actor's facial expression while he is performing a beautiful monologue? With a pair of opera glasses this dream becomes reality! Next time you go to the theatre with Theatre in Paris, grab your pair and uncover all the secrets of the production design. The opera glasses that we offer have an elegant gold chain and are very light and easy to carry. In addition, they will add some edge to your style: a perfect gift that combines its functionality with aesthetics! Click here to discover the opera glasses.
The hardest part will be to choose which show to see to flash your opera glasses: discover all our shows here!

An incredible evening at the Royal Opera of Versailles

The perfect gift - a romantic evening at the theatre. With our premium offer, you will not only have the best seats, but also a glass of champagne and a special programme! Among our shows are sublime performances such as ballet Marie-Antoinette by Thierry Malandain or The Four Seasons of the Compagnie de l'Eventail. The Royal Opera also offers numerous classical music concerts , as well as grandiose staging of Don Quichotte Chez La Duchesse .
Immerse yourself in a great moment by attending a show at the Royal Opera of Versailles.

A CANDLE THAT SMELLS LIKE… THE THEATRE!

The lockdown prevents us from going to theatre, but thanks to the candles by the Comédie-Française you can bring theatre to your home! Or, better to say, its smells. Théâtre-Français offers a whole range of candles with unusual scents, recreated by a brilliant perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. She has found her inspiration in the corridors of this prestigious theatre! Take some theatrical makeup, a pinch of powdered rice, velvet’s odor, a bit of wood dust, of course, and voila, you have the perfect recreation of the backstage aroma. Now try to guess what is behind the following scents: walnut wood, horsehair, leather and linseed oil? It is none other than Molière’s armchair, the seat he used on stage in his play The Hypochondriac in 1673.
The candles come in five scents: Le Fauteuil de Molière (Molière’s Armchair), Réserves, Coulisses (Backstage), Blanchisserie (Laundry) and Atelier. They are packed in a beautiful wooden box and burn for up to 30 hours! An original Christmas present that will appeal to all theatre lovers. Discover them in the Comédie-Française online store.

EXCEPTIONAL THEATRE GUIDED TOURS

THE OPERA GARNIER GUIDED TOUR

An exciting tour, which will open the doors of the most prestigious Opera House in France, the Opera Garnier. You will be accompanied by a professional tour guide who will reveal all the facts and setters of this legendary place. First, you will meet at the Rotonde des Abonnés which is used to be the main entrance. You will make your way through luxurious halls, discovering all the architectural wonders. Your destination will be the magnificent Grand Foyer. We also offer you exclusive tours, which happen after 5 p.m. when Opera Garnier officially closes for the general public. You will have a rare opportunity to discover the interiors in a more private way and walk in the footsteps of the Phantom of the Opera from Gaston Leroux’s famous novel.

Crazy Experience at the Crazy Horse

For Christmas, offer to your loved ones one of the most extraordinary Parisian experiences – a pass behind the scenes of the legendary Parisian cabaret Crazy Horse. With the Crazy Exclusive offer, you will experience an evening like no other and discover all the secrets of the cabaret thanks to your guide, one of the cabaret dancers. You will visit the dressing rooms and hidden chambers; you will have a chance to ask all your questions to the dancer during a snack including glasses of champagne and appetizers in the Bernardin lounge. You will then contemplate the «Totally Crazy» show from VIP seats, all while sipping Crazy Horse champagne, the Cuvée Crazy!
A gift that you will remember for the rest your life!
This exclusive experience is only available on Fridays at 7 p.m. in French and on Sundays at the same time for the tour in English.

We tested this unique outing at Crazy Horse for you, discover our article here!