“Since Covid, we have been in survival mode”: the director of the Thouars theater retires after 35 years in the service of culture

The emotion will undoubtedly be there this Thursday, April 30, 2026 for Frédéric Branchu. Aged 65, the director of the S’il vous plait association, which manages the Thouars theater, will in fact live his very last day at the head of this local institution, before enjoying a well-deserved retirement.

Before passing the torch to his successor, whose identity has not yet been revealed, this adopted Thouarsais looks back on this rich professional adventure in the service of culture in the region, started more than 35 years ago for this native of the Paris region who arrived here with his parents 50 years ago, when he was still a teenager…

“I receive nearly 30,000 emails from artists per year.”

When did you start working for the Thouars theater?

Frédéric Branchu. “I discovered the artistic world in 1989-1990, first as a solidarity employment contract within the Thouars museum, which had just reopened its doors. Then the recently elected municipality (with the socialist Serge Moulin as mayor) wanted to expand the cultural service, because the theater was the subject of a major renovation project, carried out in 1992. It must be said that the building was abandoned, even the seats were collapsing… I said yes straight away, without really knowing what I was going to do.”

What was your role at the time?

“I was first responsible for the administrative and financial aspects. We were a small team and we started from a blank page… It was exciting because everything had to be built. The elected officials of the time were both enthusiastic and very present, starting with Patrice Pineau, who was then deputy in charge of culture. For us, it was very rewarding.”

So you weren’t always the director?