Cross Channel Theatre: ten years of French-language theater in the UK
Published on 24 February 2026
Launched in 2014 by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni, Cross Channel Theatre has been working for ten years to spread French-language theater across the Channel. On the occasion of this anniversary and the closing of the new call for projects, Thomas Brégeon, Cultural Attaché at the French Embassy in the UK, looks back at the program's ambitions, its main successes and the prospects for its evolution in the service of theatrical exchanges between France and the UK.
Cross Channel Theatre was launched in 2014 by the Institut français du Royaume-Uni. What were the original aims of the program and what needs of the Franco-British theater landscape did it address at the time?
Cross Channel Theatre was originally launched to identify and translate French-language contemporary theater texts into English. A committee of industry professionals met once a year to select texts for translation, and to promote the latest in contemporary theater written in French. It's a remarkable body of work, but one that suffers from being little staged, and the link with the professional sector needs to be worked on. This is our priority.
In addition, the program is part of a very particular British theatrical landscape, both extremely dynamic and highly competitive, driven by strong public demand, international success and the weight of the West End of London, but also crossed by strong economic tensions. Today, there is a growing polarization between the major institutions and the more fragile structures, which often leads theaters to give priority to works that are already established or supported by stars, to the detriment of original creation. In this context, the great classics still find their place, but access remains more complex for other forms of French theater.
Ten years after its creation, how do you view Cross Channel Theatre's journey? What successes or major developments stand out for you?
Ten years after its creation, Cross Channel Theatre can first claim to have built up an exceptional body of work, now comprising thirty-five texts that bear witness to the vitality of French-language writing. It includes major figures in contemporary theater, such as Joël Pommerat, Magali Mougel and Mohamed El Khatib, as well as Francophone voices from other horizons, such as Haitian poet Jean d'Amérique and Beninese playwright Sèdjro Giovanni Houansou, not forgetting younger authors and very recent plays such as Lune by Pamela Ghislain. This corpus is conceived as a veritable window onto contemporary creation, and as an invitation to discover and adapt these texts.
Today, the challenge is to develop the scheme by strengthening the link with the professional world. From 2026 onwards, the call will be broadened to include not only support for translation, but also for projects in line with British current affairs, as well as the production and dissemination of shows. The aim is to bring together, make more legible and more visible the actions in favor of theater, and better connect authors, artists, programmers and institutions.
The aim is to bring together, make more legible and more visible the actions in favor of theater, and better connect authors, artists, programmers and institutions.
How does Cross Channel Theatre concretely contribute to the dissemination of French-language theater in the UK, and to connecting artists, structures and audiences in both countries?
Cross Channel Theatre is first and foremost part of a broad approach to French-language theater, which is not limited to French authors, but to all French-language writing in all its diversity. The main challenge is to bring these texts to life today, by promoting their performance and circulation, and by strengthening links with professional networks in the UK and beyond. To mark the program's tenth anniversary, a booklet presenting the entire corpus was published and distributed to theater programmers and directors, along with an event at the Institut français featuring directed readings and professional meetings.
This momentum has continued with the launch of our new call for proposals, which will take place twice a year, and which supports translations linked to confirmed artistic news, productions and tours, as well as travel and professional meetings. The success of this first call, which attracted over thirty applications, confirms the interest of the sector.
The cultural and political context has changed a lot since 2014. How has the program adapted to these transformations, particularly after the Brexit?
The Brexit has profoundly affected the mobility of artists and productions. Companies now face additional costs, more complex visa procedures and a reduced international presence, while the loss of access to certain European funding, such as Creative Europe, has contributed to a slowdown in touring. While major institutions sometimes manage to absorb these constraints, independent and regional companies are much more exposed.
However, the situation is changing, with encouraging signals such as the UK's announced return to the Erasmus+ program in 2027 and the continuing interest of many British professionals in French creation, recognized for its vitality and strong public support. But beyond Brexit, the main difficulty remains the difference in working cultures: the British model, largely based on private funding and faster production rhythms, as well as the wealth of English-language production and the language barrier, make cooperation in theater more demanding than in other disciplines such as dance.
A brand new call for projects has just closed. What orientations or priorities would you like to highlight with this first edition?
This first edition of the new call for projects is structured around three priorities. The first is to support major emblematic projects capable of structuring cooperation, such as the unprecedented rapprochement between the Avignon, Edinburgh and Holland festivals, or the hosting at the Young Vic of Tiago Rodrigues' show La Distance, programmed in French for a month, a bold artistic gesture that the program intends to support both in terms of production and visibility.
The second priority is to encourage innovation and new forms, in particular by supporting ambitious and singular projects, such as Julien Gosselin's immersive show based on the work of Marguerite Duras, planned by the LIFT Festival. Finally, it's also about getting out of London and strengthening the presence of French-language theater throughout the UK, by supporting initiatives in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or cities like Birmingham, for example with the Fierce Festival and its programming in atypical venues.
It's also about getting out of London and strengthening the presence of French-language theater throughout the UK.
How do you see the future of Cross Channel Theatre in the coming years? What ambitions do you have for continuing to strengthen theatrical exchanges between France and the UK?
For the future, the first challenge is to consolidate funding, in particular by exploring further the avenue of patronage, along the lines of other existing schemes we have in the visual arts or music, in a British context favorable to this type of support. Secondly, we must continue to support the most emblematic cooperative projects, and build lasting professional networks by linking artists, authors, artistic directors, venues, festivals, universities and media players. Finally, Cross Channel Theatre must remain true to its original mission: to support new writing and emerging forms of French-language theater, to keep a watchful eye on developments with its partners, and to help people discover what's happening in French-language theater in the UK, while remaining attentive and open to developments in the sector.
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