Originally an informal venue for acrobatics and pantomime a theatre was eventually built in 1816. Originally seating 500, it was later enlarged to accommodate 773. The Funambules became celebrated for the performances of the 'Pierrot' mime Jean-Gaspard Deburau, between around 1819 and 1846, and also the early career of the great classical actor Frédérick Lemaître.
Hartnoll, Phyllis and Found, Peter (1996): Funambules, Théâtre des. The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. Encyclopedia.com. (August 16, 2011). [1]
Other sources
Péricaud, Louis (1897): Le Théâtre des Funambules, ses mimes, ses acteurs et ses pantomimes, depuis sa fondation jusqu'à sa démolition[2]