Agathe Mélinand
© Polo Garat
skillful reshaping
‘Agathe Mélinand has... reshaped and cut some of the longer sections, proving that spectators still laugh at the original when the burlesque, hero-comedy and absurd are handled with such skill’
Olyrix, Barbe bleue, Opéra de Lyon
Agathe Mélinand enjoys a career as director, dramaturg and librettist in opera and theatre. She was Co-Director of Théâtre national de Toulouse 2008–18, Deputy Artistic Director and Director of Communication of the Centre Dramatique National des Alpes in Grenoble 1997–2007, and Co-Director of theatre company Le Pélican 1989–1994.
In the opera house, she has produced new dialogues and adaptations of numerous libretti. Recent projects include the translation of the dialogues for Gypsy by Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim for the Paris Philharmonie and an adapation of Offenbach’s Robinson Crusoe for Théâtre des Champs Elysées.
Renowned for her work on Offenbach, together with Pelly she has created new adaptations of numerous titles including Le roi carotte for Opéra de Lyon – winner of the Best Rediscovered Work category at the 2016 International Opera Awards – and Barbe bleue for Opéra de Lyon and Opéra de Marseille.
Recent work in the theatre includes the translation and adaptation of Goldoni’s L’Impresario de Smyrne, and the French-language premiere of her new translation of Harvey by Mary Chase, both directed by Laurent Pelly.
