Winter is fast approaching, and with it a vibrant new theatrical season. As the days grow shorter, the Brussels stage is decked out in its finest colors to offer an eclectic and captivating program. From revisited classics to brand-new creations, not forgetting shows for young and old alike, this end-of-year season promises to awaken your emotions! Bruxelles Secrète guides you through a selection of 10 must-see plays to savor every moment of winter at the theater.
Winter on the Brussels theater scene in 10 plays
Théâtre Royal du Parc
Beauty and the Beast: a family show!
Emmanuelle Lamberts, responsible for the sumptuous choreography of Paris Cancan, brings the famous tale to the stage. This time, the setting is 19th-century Ireland. Romina Palmeri and Nicolas Kaplyn, who starred in Elisabeth and West Side Story, will be back. A colorful show for the whole family to enjoy from November 7!
Musical by Thierry Debroux.
📍Théâtre Royal du Parc: Rue de la Loi 3, 1000 Brussels
📆Dates: November 7 to December 7, 2024
👉From age 8
Mr. Scrooge’s Christmas: rediscover the spirit of the season
Rediscover the holiday spirit with Mr. Scrooge’s Christmas, based on Charles Dickens. Set in 19th-century London, follow old Scrooge’s journey of initiation, as he confronts his past and future and learns to open his heart. After its triumph in 2018, this enchanting show returns in December, offering a magical moment to enjoy with the whole family.
📍 Théâtre Royal du Parc: Rue de la Loi 3, 1000 Brussels
📆 Dates: December 18 to 31, 2024
👉 Ages 8 and up
Théâtre Le Public
Y’a d’la joie after Charles Trenet: an explosion of joy
Greg Houben and Éric De Staercke offer a dazzling tribute to Charles Trenet in Y’a d’la joie, a veritable fountain of good cheer. Far from a simple concert, this show plunges you into a whirlwind of poetry and madness, where Trenet’s timeless verve meets the boundless energy of his performers. An invigorating and joyful moment, to be savored without moderation: because, yes, there’s still joy… everywhere!
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: October 31 to December 31, 2024
Le Dieu du Carnage:when courtesy explodes
Under Yasmina Reza’s sharp pen, a banal children’s quarrel turns into a hilarious settling of scores between “civilized” parents. Masks fall off, certainties are shaken and politeness is torn to shreds: this ferocious comedy, back in December, promises evenings of incisive laughter, perfect for the festive season.
By Yasmina Reza.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: November 26 to December 31, 2024
Silence en Coulisses ! chaos on stage
When a troupe of clumsy actors wreak havoc in the run-up to opening night, the director is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. This behind-the-scenes vaudeville of misunderstandings and absurdity celebrates 30 years of complicity with the public, offering a light-hearted, delirious evening perfect for awakening our childlike souls.
By Michael Frayn.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: December 13, 2024 – February 22, 2025
Racine’sAndromaque: tragedy and burning passions
After the Trojan War, love, revenge and power intertwine in a fatal whirlwind. Between Pyrrhus’ oppressive advances, Orestes’ bloody plots and Andromache’s fierce resistance to save her son, this timeless work explores the wounds of war and destructive passions. Carried by Racine’s vibrant language, this energetic staging promises to move and question all audiences.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: January 9 to February 22, 2025
Théâtre Royal des Galeries
Lady Agatha: a thrilling biopic
Who really was Agatha Christie? Despite two billion books sold worldwide, no one really knows the thousand lives of the famous novelist. Nurse, pharmacist, archaeologist, pianist, singer and writer, she toured the world and lived through two wars. This theatrical biopic takes us on a whirlwind adventure. With just a few props, trunks and scaffolding, the show takes us on a voyage on an ocean liner or a plane, giving rise to a whole new world. The magic of the actors’ performance, as the images in this giant book scroll past, leads to one tableau after another. Instructive, clever, surprising and original: this is the ideal family show.
By Cristos Mitropoulos and Ali Bougheraba.
📍 Théâtre des Galeries: Galerie du Roi 32 – 1000 Brussels
📆 Dates: December 4, 2024 to January 12, 2025
Théâtre National
Les Gros patinent bien: burlesque poetry
Olivier Martin-Salvan and Pierre Guillois take you on a theatrical odyssey as absurd as it is ingenious. Using a simple cardboard box, a wealth of ingenuity and a burlesque sense of humor blending slapstick and mime, this unlikely duo retraces the far-fetched adventures of a cursed anti-hero. Between laughter and tenderness, this handcrafted cabaret celebrates the fragile, playful magic of theater.
Created by Olivier Martin-Salvan and Pierre Guillois,
📍 Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles: Bd Émile Jacqmain 111-115, 1000 Brussels
📆 Dates: November 27 to December 7, 2024
Le Fou Rire Théâtre
Encore, encore, encore… Lorette’s disastrous love affairs
Lorette, an expert in disastrous love affairs, shares with biting humor her sentimental setbacks and her quest for a heart to take. Between Belgian derision and bursts of laughter, she hits the nail on the head about the absurdities of human relationships. This caustic, jubilant one-woman show promises a memorable evening on December 5, 2024, as part of the Soirées Sous un Autre Regard series.
📍 Théâtre Le fou rire: Avenue des Grenadiers 48, 1050 Brussels
📆 Date: December 5, 2024
Incasable et Inemployable: laughter and self-mockery
Alexandra, a mother in the mid st of a mid-life crisis, decides to break her routine and rekindle her passion for the stage. But with an overburdened husband, uncooperative children and a play that goes haywire, nothing goes according to plan! This light, hard-hitting comedy takes a humorous look at the challenges of age, family and forgotten dreams. See it December 14 and 15, 2024 for a dose of irresistible self-mockery.
📍 Théâtre Le fou rire: Avenue des Grenadiers 48, 1050 Brussels
📆 Dates: December 14 and 15, 2024