Roger Planchon spent his childhood in the Ardèche, notably in Dornas. He found its inspiration from his rural origins and this issue was a recurring theme in his writings.
He started on stage in 1949 after winning an amateur theater. In 1952, he founded the Théâtre de la Comédie, located in the rue des Marronniers, in Lyon. He was the director of the Théâtre de la Cité of Villeurbanne since 1957 (which became the Théâtre National Populaire in 1972).
In 2002, Christian Schiaretti succeeded him as director of the TNP; he created his own company with which he continued to write and direct until his death.