Top Queer Performances to Catch This Fall Across France
This fall, theaters across France are lighting up with bold and boundary-pushing queer performances. From Paris to Lyon and beyond, the stage becomes a celebration of identity, resistance, and artistic freedom. Here are ten diverse productions you won’t want to miss.
La Chair est triste, hélas
Adapted from the 2023 book by acclaimed filmmaker and activist Ovidie, La Chair est triste, hélas is part memoir, part political outcry. Originally published in the influential “Fauteuse de trouble” collection, this work details Ovidie’s personal choice to abstain from sex with men—peeling back the layers of gender dynamics and emotional labor in heterosexual relationships.
On stage, acclaimed actress Anna Mouglalis gives the monologue its full weight and sharp humor, channeling the raw feminism and wit reminiscent of Virginie Despentes. With its blend of insight and irony, the performance captures the spirit of a queer manifesto—without ever actually declaring itself one.
📍 Théâtre de l’Atelier (Paris) – Until October 26
📍 Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse (Lyon) – November 28–29
Seeing Clearly with Monique Wittig
This moving tribute to pioneering queer theorist Monique Wittig comes to life thanks to actor Adèle Haenel and her avant-garde musical collective, DameChevaliers. The show expands beyond Wittig’s groundbreaking works—like Les Guérillères and The Straight Mind—by weaving in texts from other feminist icons such as Audre Lorde, Sarah Ahmed, Adrienne Rich, and Elsa Dorlin.
Seeing Clearly with Monique Wittig is a bold, intellectual, and emotionally charged performance, designed as a collaborative meditation on queer and feminist theory in action.
📍 Bouffes du Nord (Paris) – October 8–12
📍 Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse (Lyon) – November 25
Vaslav
Cabaret artist Olivier Normand, best known as Vaslav, invites audiences into a deeply intimate world with his genre-defying solo performance. Accompanied only by a shruti box, he fluidly merges sounds from Monteverdi to Bob Marley, medieval chants, and punk legend Brigitte Fontaine.
Both intimate and theatrical, Vaslav is more than a recital; it’s a heartfelt confession exploring queer identity and political resistance. Anchored in the inclusiveness of cabaret culture, the performance tour adds new depth to Normand’s signature blend of playfulness and poignancy.
📍 Théâtre du Rond-Point (Paris) – Until October 4
📍 Maison de la Danse (Lyon) – November 12–14
📍 La Garance (Cavaillon) – November 16–22
📍 L’Étincelle (Rouen) – December 16
📍 Théâtre Monsigny (Boulogne-sur-Mer) – April 3
Trilogy of the Third Kind
Performance artist Mickaël Délis takes a bold dive into the murky waters of masculinity with his striking three-part solo project: Trilogy of the Third Kind. The series includes The First Sex, a biting satire of traditional manhood; La Fête du slip, a cheeky ode to male anatomy; and Their Glittering Lives, an unflinching look at ejaculatory politics.
At once humorous and razor-sharp, this trilogy captures complex aspects of male identity and sexual performativity through a queer lens. After captivating audiences at the Avignon Festival, the series gears up for an extended run in Paris and a nationwide tour in 2026.
📍 La Scala (Paris) – Until January 3, 2026
📍 Théâtre Jean-Vilar (Suresnes) – The First Sex – October 9
📍 Théâtre Jean-Vilar (Vitry-sur-Seine) – December 7
📍 2026 Tour: Sarlat, La Roche-sur-Yon, Créteil, Gap, Lyon, Nantes, Réunion Island, and more
Cher Evan Hansen
Chart-topping French singer Hoshi shows a new face this season as she joins the cast of a unique adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen. This French version reimagines the acclaimed Broadway musical—centered on teenage mental health in the digital age—through a local lens, with translated lyrics and original interpretation.
Under the direction of Olivier Solivérès, known for his theatrical version of Dead Poets Society, the show promises a moving and relevant update for today’s French audiences.
📍 Théâtre de la Madeleine (Paris) – From October 3
Swan Lake
Matthew Bourne’s iconic all-male version of Swan Lake continues to dazzle audiences three decades after its game-changing debut. Recasting the traditionally female swans as powerful male dancers, the production reimagines Tchaikovsky’s classic with bold sensuality and modern edge.
This homoerotic, visually thrilling ballet remains a landmark in queer performance art—essential viewing whether you’re seeing it for the first or fiftieth time.
📍 La Seine Musicale (Boulogne-Billancourt) – October 9–26
A Touch of Virginie Despentes
Author and filmmaker Virginie Despentes brings her uncompromising voice back to the stage this season with two highly anticipated performances.
- Woke, a sharp, unfiltered monologue dissecting power, patriarchy, and culture wars, is touring through Montreuil, Angers, and Orléans from late September to mid-October.
- Romancero Queer, an irreverent behind-the-scenes look at queer theater-making, lands in Lyon in March 2026.
Each piece offers Despentes’ signature blend of punk energy and political depth, giving audiences both inspiration and provocation.
✨ From experimental cabaret and feminist monologues to reimagined classics, this season invites you to explore, reflect, and celebrate queer creativity at its finest.
As a proud LGBTQIA+ conscious boutique, we support queer voices and cultural expression. Don’t miss our regularly updated calendar of LGBTQ+ events across France.