Planchon, Roger (b. 1931). French actor, playwright, and director, the leading exponent of ‘théâtre populaire’ in the 1960s and 1970s. After early experiments in directing avant-garde playwrights, he was greatly influenced by Brecht's theories of staging and developed a politically committed production style involving a blend of social realism and rich theatricality. He worked closely with Adamov, but his most influential productions have been iconoclastic Marxist interpretations of classics by Molière, Shakespeare, Marivaux, and Racine. In 1972 the title of Théâtre National Populaire was transferred from Paris to his theatre in the working-class suburb of Villeurbanne, Lyon.
[David Whitton]
