Les Molières () is the national theatre award of France, recognising achievement in French theatre each year. The awards are considered the highest honour for productions and performances. Presided and decided by the Association professionnelle et artistique du théâtre (APAT), they are supported by the Ministry of Culture in a ceremony held annually, called the Nuit des Molières ("Night of the Molières"), in Paris.
Les Molières are considered the highest French theatre honour, the equivalent to the American Tony Award, the British Olivier Award, and the Spanish Premios Max. The award was created by Georges Cravenne, who was also the creator of the César Awards for cinema. The name of the award is an homage to the seventeenth-century French dramatist Molière.
Awards by year and category
1987 Jury presided by Jean-Louis Barrault. Awards hosted by François Périer. Best Actor – Philippe Clévenot, in Elvire Jouvet 40 Best Supporting Actor – Pierre Arditi, in La Répétition ou l'Amour puni (The Rehearsal) Best Male Newcomer – Philippe Caubère, in Ariane ou l'Âge d'or Best Actress – Suzanne Flon, in Léopold le bien aimé Best Supporting Actress – Sabine Haudepin, in Kean Best Female Newcomer – Ute Lemper, in Cabaret Best Show in an Independent theatre – Ariane ou l'Âge d'or, at the Théâtre des Arts/Théâtre Tristan-Bernard Best Show in a National theatre – La Folle Journée ou le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), at the Théâtre national de Chaillot Best Musical – Cabaret, at the Théâtre du 8ème (Lyon) Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean-Loup Dabadie, for Deux sur la balançoire (Two for the Seesaw) Best Playwright – Yasmina Reza, for Conversations après un enterrement (Conversations After a Burial)Art Best Director – Jean-Pierre Vincent, for La Folle Journée ou le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) Best Costumes – Yannis Kokkos, for Madame de Sade Best Stage Design/Set – Yannis Kokkos, for L'Échange
1988 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Jacques Dufilho in Je ne suis pas Rappaport Best Supporting Actor – Pierre Vaneck in Le Secret (The Secret) Best Actress – Jeanne Moreau in Le Récit de la servante Zerline (Zerline's Tale) Best Supporting Actress – Catherine Salviat in Dialogue des carmélites (Dialogues of the Carmelites) Best Newcomer – Thierry Fortineau in Journal d'un curé de campagne (Diary of a Country Priest) Best Show in an Independent theatre – Ce que voit Fox (Fall) at the Théâtre La Bruyère Best Show in a National theatre – Le Soulier de satin (The Satin Slipper) at the Théâtre national de Chaillot Best Musical – Les Petits Pas at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean-Claude Grumberg for Mort d'un commis voyageur (Death of a Salesman) Best Playwright – Loleh Bellon for L'Éloignement Best Director – Laurent Terzieff for Ce que voit Fox (Fall) Best Costumes – Jacques Schmidt for Georges Dandin Best Stage Design/Set – Ezio Frigerio for George Dandin
1989 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Gérard Desarthe in Hamlet Best Supporting Actor – Étienne Chicot in Une absence Best Actress – María Casares in Hécube (Hecuba) Best Supporting Actress – Christine Murillo in La Mouette (The Seagull) Best Newcomer – Elisabeth Maccoco in Callas (Master Class) Best Show in an Independent theatre – L'Avare (The Miser) at the Théâtre du Marais Best Show in a National theatre – Le Foyer at the Théâtre de la Plaine Best Musical – Cats at the Théâtre de Paris Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Dominique Deschamps for Je ne suis pas Rappaport (I'm Not Rappaport) Best Playwright – François Billetdoux for Réveille-toi Philadelphie ! Best Director – Patrice Chéreau for Hamlet Best Costumes – Jacques Schmidt for Hamlet Best Stage Design/Set – Richard Peduzzi for Hamlet
1990 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Pierre Dux in Quelque part dans cette vie Best Supporting Actor – Michel Robin in La Traversée de l'hiver (The Passage of Winter) Best Actress – Denise Gence in Avant la retraite Best Supporting Actress – Judith Magre in Greek Best Newcomer – Redjep Mitrovitsa in Lorenzaccio Best Show in an Independent theatre – Les Palmes de Monsieur Schutz at the Théâtre des Mathurins Best Show in a National theatre – Greek at the Théâtre national de la Colline Best Musical – Tempo at the Théâtre Fontaine Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Michel Butel for Le Chemin solitaire Best Playwright – Jean-Noël Fenwick for Les Palmes de Monsieur Schutz Best Director – Gérard Caillaud for Les Palmes de Monsieur Schutz Best Costumes – Patrice Cauchetier for La Mère coupable ou l'Autre Tartuffe Best Stage Design/Set – Jacques Voizot for Les Palmes de Monsieur Schutz Best Fringe Production – Yasmina Reza for La Traversée de l'hiver (The Passage of Winter)Seducer or Seduced?
1991 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Guy Tréjan in Heldenplatz Best Supporting Actor – Jean-Paul Roussillon in Zone libre Best Actress – Dominique Valadié in La Dame de chez Maxim (The Girl from Maxim's) Best Supporting Actress – Catherine Arditi in A croquer... ou l'ivre de cuisine Best Female Newcomer – Sophie Marceau in Eurydice Best Show in an Independent theatre – Le Souper at the Théâtre Montparnasse Best Show in a National theatre – La Tempête at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord Best Musical – Christophe Colomb at the TLP Dejazet Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean-Claude Carrière for La Tempête (The Tempest) Best Playwright – Jean-Claude Grumberg for Zone libre Best Director – Peter Brook for La Tempête (The Tempest) Best Costumes – Dominique Borg for La Cerisaie (The Cherry Orchard) Best Stage Design/Set – Louis Bercut for Heldenplatz
1992 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Henri Virlogeux in L'Antichambre Best Supporting Actor – Robert Hirsch in Le Misanthrope Best Actress – Ludmila Mikaël in Célimène et le Cardinal Best Supporting Actress – Danièle Lebrun in Le Misanthrope Best Newcomer – Stéphane Freiss in C'était bien Best Show in an Independent theatre – Cuisine et dépendances at the Théâtre La Bruyère Best Show in a National theatre – Le Temps et la chambre at the Théâtre de l'Odéon Best Musical – Les Misérables at the Théâtre Mogador Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean Poiret for Sans rancune Best Playwright – Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri for Cuisine et dépendances Best Director – Stéphan Meldegg for Cuisine et dépendances Best Costumes – Bernadette Villard for Célimène et le Cardinal Best Stage Design/Set – Nicolas Sire for Célimène et le Cardinal
1993 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Michel Aumont in Macbett Best Supporting Actor – Jean-Pierre Sentier in L'Eglise Best Actress – Edwige Feuillère in Edwige Feuillère en scène Best Supporting Actress – Françoise Bertin in Temps contre temps Best Newcomer – Emmanuelle Laborit in Les Enfants du silence Best Show in an Independent theatre – Temps contre temps at the Théâtre La Bruyère Best Show in a National theatre – La Serva amorosa at the Comédie-Française Best Musical – Mortadella at the Théâtre Montparnasse and La Cigale Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean Dalric and Jacques Collard for Les Enfants du silence Best Playwright – René de Obaldia for Monsieur Klebs et Rozalie Best Director – Laurent Terzieff for Temps contre temps (Another Time) Best Costumes – Nicole Galerne for Légende de la forêt viennoise Best Stage Design/Set – Nicky Rieri for Légende de la forêt viennoise
1994 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Jean-Pierre Marielle in Le Retour (The Homecoming) Best Supporting Actor – Roland Blanche in La Résistible ascension d'Arturo Ui (The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) Best Actress – Tsilla Chelton in Les Chaises (The Chairs) Best Supporting Actress – Annick Alane in Tailleur pour dames Best Newcomer – Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt (Playwright) for Le Visiteur (The Visitor) Best Show in an Independent theatre – Le Visiteur (The Visitor) at the Théâtre de Paris Best Show in a National theatre – Comment va le monde, Môssieu ? Il tourne, Môssieu ! at the Théâtre national de la Colline Best Musical – Le Quatuor at the Théâtre Dejazet Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Attica Guedj and Stéphan Meldegg for L'Ampoule magique (The Floating Light Bulb) Best Playwright – Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt for Le Libertin (The Libertine) Best Director – Benno Besson for Quisaitout et Grobêta Best Costumes – Jean-Marc Stehlé for Quisaitout et Grobêta Best Stage Design/Set – Jean-Marc Stehlé for Quisaitout et Grobêta
1995 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Pierre Meyrand in Les Affaires sont les affaires (Business is business) Best Supporting Actor – Darry Cowl in On purge bébé (Baby's Laxative) and Feu la mère de Madame (Madame's Late Mother) Best Actress – Suzanne Flon in La Chambre d'amis Best Supporting Actress – Catherine Frot in Un air de famille Best Newcomer – Didier Bezace in La Femme changée en renard Best Show in an Independent theatre – "Art" at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées Best Show in a National theatre – Les Affaires sont les affaires (Business is business) at La Limmousine Best Musical – Les Années Twist at the Folies Bergère Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean-Claude Grumberg for Encore une histoire d'amour Best Playwright – Yasmina Reza for "Art" Best Director – Alain Françon for Pièces de guerre (The War Plays) Best Costumes – Michel Dussarat for Chantecler Best Stage Design/Set – Claude Plet for Les Affaires sont les affaires (Business is business) Best Author – Yasmina Reza for "Art"
1996 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Didier Sandre in Un mari idéal (An Ideal Husband) Best Supporting Actor – Jean-Paul Roussillon in Colombe (Mademoiselle Colombe) Best Actress – Christiane Cohendy in Décadence Best Supporting Actress – Sonia Vollereaux in Lapin, lapin Best Newcomer – Nathalie Cerda in Piaf, je t'aime Best Show in an Independent theatre – Monsieur Schpill et Monsieur Tippeton by La Compagnie Eroc Best Show in a National theatre – Un mari idéal (An Ideal Husband) at the Théâtre Antoine Best Musical – Chimère by Théâtre Zingaro Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean-Michel Déprats for L'Importance d'être Constant (The Importance of Being Earnest) Best Playwright – Gilles Segal for Monsieur Schpill et Monsieur Tippeton Best Director – Patrice Chéreau for Dans la solitude des champs de coton Best Costumes – Christian Lacroix for Phèdre Best Stage Design/Set – Jacques Noël for Noël chez les Cupiello
1997 Jury presided by. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Pierre Cassignard in Les Jumeaux vénitiens (The Two Venetian Twins) Best Supporting Actor – Robert Hirsch in En attendant Godot (Waiting for Godot) Best Actress – Myriam Boyer in Qui a peur de Virginia Woolf? (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) Best Supporting Actress – Dominique Blanchar in Tout comme il faut Best Newcomer – Sandrine Kiberlain in Le Roman de Lulu Best Show : New Play – Kinkali at the Théâtre national de la Colline Best Show : Classical Play – Les Jumeaux vénitiens (The Two Venetian Twins) at the Théâtre de la Criée Best Musical – Le Passe-muraille at the Théâtre Montansier and at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens Best Adaptation of a Foreign Play – Jean Piat for L'Affrontement Best Playwright – Arnaud Bédouet for Kinkali Best Director – Alain Sachs for Le Passe-muraille Best Costumes – Dominique Borg for Le Libertin (The Libertine) Best Stage Design/Set – Guy-Claude François for Le Passe-muraille (The Man Who Walked Through Walls) Best Comedy – Accalmies passagères (Communicating Doors) by Alan AyckbournAlan Ayckbourn
1998 Jury presided by Dario Fo. Awards hosted by. Best Actor – Michel Bouquet in Les Côtelettes Best Supporting Actor – Maurice Barrier in Douze hommes en colère (Twelve Angry Men) Best Male Newcomer – Nicolas Vaude in Château en Suède (Château in Sweden) and Michel Vuillermoz in André le Magnifique Best Actress – Dominique Blanc in Une maison de poupée (A Doll's House)