On May 7, Collectif 17h25 launched an innovative standard module for set construction: MOD 200. With the prototype phase now completed, the participating partners, including La Monnaie, are starting the production of these structures, and will implement them in set construction as of the 2024-25 season.
Collectif 17h25 is an alliance between five cultural institutions: Opéra de Lyon, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Opéra national de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet, and La Monnaie. Sharing the ambition to make the creation of their productions more sustainable, the technical departments of these partners have been researching the standardization of structural set components (invisible to the audience) and support systems for scenographic elements (visible to the audience) for the past two years.
The ultimate goal is to establish a ‘library’ of standard structures that are compatible with the specific requirements of as many theaters as possible. In this way, Collectif 17h25 aims to reduce waste in set creation, improve storage efficiency, and limit transportation volume.
The realization of MOD 200 marks an important step in this process. The standard module, consisting of steel tube structures with exceptional technical compatibility and simple montage options, is now going into the production phase at the five cultural institutions. Starting from the 2024-25 season, the module will actually be used, also at La Monnaie, with Fanny and Alexander as the first test case.
During a literary encounter with J. M. Coetzee on the stage of La Monnaie, Christina Scheppelmann announced that the 2003 Nobel Prize winner in Literature is writing a libretto for a new La Monnaie opera, to be premiered in the 2027–2028 season: Elizabeth Costello in limbo.
Christina Scheppelmann, who became the first female General and Artistic Director of La Monnaie this season, has been nominated for the ELLE Woman of the Year 2025 award.
On 29 September 2025, the façade of La Monnaie will turn red for World Heart Day. With this symbolic gesture, our opera house joins a global movement raising awareness about cardiovascular diseases.
