The show goes on in Paris – through augmented-reality glasses

If your French doesn't go beyond bonjour, you can still enjoy a night at a Parisian theatre thanks to new glasses that provide simultaneous translations

It's Saturday night at Le Comi(C)dia theatre in central Paris and I'm staring at the stage through square plastic glasses. While the actors in the musical Mistinguett, Reine des Anni(C)es Folles sing boisterously in French, the words appear simultaneously in English on a small screen in the right-hand lens. Though it's not the same as watching the show unfettered, I find it surprisingly easy to follow the translated dialogue along with the action.

For visitors to the city who like the theatre but don't speak French, new augmented-reality glasses, launched this week by Theatre in Paris, open up the choice of evening entertainment, and there are plans to introduce them at a variety of shows next year.