A French-language theatre company in Ottawa is making its plays accessible to anglophone theatre-goers.

All of this year's productions at Théâtre la Catapulte will have English surtitles on Thursday nights.

Théâtre la Catapulte received a small city grant to invest in a projector to put up the surtitles.

The theatre is now performing a French classic from 1636, Pierre Corneille's L'illusion comique.

"Even for French audiences this text can sometimes be difficult, or needs to be well listened to because it's poetry," artistic director Joël Beddows said in an interview with CBC News.

Beddows said the surtitles, projected on a screen over the stage, will be an aid for people who aren't fluent in French but want to discover the world of French theatre.

He also envisages attracting couples with different first languages who want to enjoy a play together.

"It's a permanent thing for us," he said. "Every season from now on, every Thursday night will have surtitles. It's to embrace this audience, it's to open doors."

Actor Pierre Antoine Lafond Simard said he's looking forward to seeing how an English-speaking audience responds to the French classic, but noted that surtitles can result in a time lag in spectator reaction.

"Comedy is the most difficult," he said. "Because all of a sudden you say a joke and you have this two- or three-second delay, because people have to take the time to read the joke you just said."

Simard said Beddows steps down soon after 12 years at Théâtre la Catapulte, and the company is looking for a successor who can continue his vision of bridging the gap between French and English audiences.

With files from CBC's Kate Porter