Appointed head of the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe in summer 2024, Julien Gosselin has emerged as one of the leading figures of contemporary production while still under the age of 40.
Originally from the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France and trained at what would later become École du Nord at the Théâtre du Nord (Lille), he founded the company ‘Si vous pouviez lécher mon cœur’ alongside six actors from his year group. It wasn’t long before the team was discovered by programmers and critics.
His adaptation of Michel Houellebecq’s novel Les particules élémentaires was a big hit at the 2013 edition of the Avignon Festival. Julien Gosselin was just 26 at the time. His work readily engages with some of the great romantic adventures, from Roberto Bolaño’s full-length novel 2666 to three Don DeLillo works entitled Les Noms, Joueurs and Mao. If one were to describe his productions, it should be noted that Julien Gosselin, as a contemporary creator, has successfully harnessed the potential of both video and electronic music.
At the Odéon, one of six national theatres, he has very much made his mark – a resolutely contemporary mark – not least through the recent addition of ‘Théâtre de l’Europe‘ to the institution’s name. “It’s really quite something,” agrees Julien Gosselin. “It’s important for us to have a theatre that is open to Europe and the world – both for artists and for how we welcome our audiences.” To this international guideline, he has added another, which represents a central theme in his artistic and cultural project. “We want to speak to young audiences, not only by trying to imagine what their tastes are, but by giving them a voice through the artists of their generation. This also means opening the theatre’s doors to DJ sets, performances and major events for young people.”
Theatre isn’t just about heritage, even in a venue like the Odéon. It talks to young people and it talks about young people. “In my project, the Odéon is a venue that engages with the contemporary world,” the director points out, “but it’s also a place that fosters joy, facilitates gatherings and champions hospitality as core values.”
Because Julien Gosselin isn’t just the manager of a theatre, albeit a national one – he also still works as a director whose creations bear witness to an era defined by self-doubt. With Le Passé, by Russian writer Leonid Andreïev, he wanted to bring “both the disappearance of theatre and the future disappearance of humanity” to the stage. Last season, he also chose to work with 16 performers from the graduating class of the Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique, a prestigious dramatic arts school in Paris, to guide them through Marguerite Duras’s work, including L’Amant à La Douleur and La Maladie de la mort, among others. An immense and deeply human literary saga spanning 10 hours, performed in the Ateliers Berthier, the second venue of the Odéon. Both a tour de force and a way of shaking up traditional performance codes at the theatre.
Maison Taittinger is among the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe’s longest standing patrons. Julien Gosselin considers the House a partner “with whom the dialogue is rich, ongoing and productive”. “Each year we talk a lot with Vitalie Taittinger about our main projects, productions and outreach programmes. I would say that Taittinger is a committed partner, not only as a patron of the theatre. They give us a great deal of support in everything we do. When people come to the theatre,” he continues, “they are seeking an experience they know next to nothing about before stepping inside. It’s like a little adventure. In this respect, we can certainly see a parallel with a champagne producer such as Maison Taittinger.” Julien Gosselin also highlights the fact that Taittinger champagnes “are also involved in the key milestones of the theatre’s life”. While he wants the theatre to be “a battleground for ideas”, he views it as a meeting point and hospitality venue first and foremost.
