Artistic directors included Patrice Chéreau and Catherine Tasca (1982), Jean-Pierre Vincent (1990) and Jean-Louis Martinelli (2002).

The theatre developed from the Festival de Nanterre, first staged in 1965 in a circus tent.

[2] In 1982 the theatre was named Théâtre des Amandiers and directed by Patrice Chéreau and Catherine Tasca.

[3] Productions of Arthur Schnitzler's Das weite Land by Luc Bondy and a staged version of Louis-Ferdinand Céline's novel Journey to the End of the Night by André Engel were also notable.

From 1991 to 2001 Georges Aperghis, the leader of the group L'ATEM, directed music productions.