Springtime in Brussels promises to be vibrant and daring on the stage! From the reinvention of timeless classics to daring contemporary creations, the Belgian capital’s theater scene offers a diversity of shows not to be missed. From poignant dramas to gritty comedies and explorations of identity, each performance promises to captivate and surprise. Here’s a selection of 9 must-see plays for a springtime at the theater in Brussels.
Springtime at the theater
Théâtre Royal du Parc
Le Dragon : let yourself be carried away by the fantastic fable
This spring at the Théâtre Royal du Parc, a wind of legend blows through Brussels with an adaptation of Evgueni Schwartz’s tale, directed by the Pinocchio team. A mix of piquant humor and contemporary reflection, follow a hero as he confronts a tyrannical dragon in a world as fabulous as it is hard-hitting. Led by Othmane Moumen and a remarkable cast, this show revisits the tale as a mirror of our times.
📍Théâtre Royal du Parc: Rue de la Loi 3, 1000 Brussels
📆Dates: May 1 to 31, 2025
👉From age 8
Rewrite Carmen with them!
What if love really could change Carmen’s destiny? With Une autre histoire de Carmen, six young artists with disabilities offer a vibrant, inclusive retelling of the classic opera. Directed by Catherine Couchard and accompanied by a live orchestra, this creation blends song, dance and theater to turn codes on their head. An emotional and creative highlight not to be missed at the Théâtre du Parc.
📍 Théâtre Royal du Parc: Rue de la Loi 3, 1000 Brussels
📆 Dates: June 9, 2025
👉 From age 6
Théâtre Le Public
Question normality with James Brown mettait des bigoudis
With James Brown mettait des bigoudis, Yasmina Reza delivers a piquant and upsetting comedy about the quest for identity, social norms and parental projections. Between acid humor and tenderness, the text questions what it means to “be oneself” in a world that constantly demands labels. A play that’s up to date, funny and deeply human, giving food for thought as well as laughter.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: May 8 to June 22, 2025
Le Mage du Kremlin: a dive into the shadows of power
Adapted from the novel by Giuliano da Empoli, Le Mage du Kremlin takes us behind the scenes of Russian power through the eyes of a strategist as fascinating as he is frightening. On stage, two brilliant actors unfold a story in abyss, mixing truth and fiction, politics and philosophy. An intelligent, biting show, where humor slips into the darkness of power to better reveal its mechanisms and question our relationship to the enemy, to truth, and to peace.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: May 9 to June 22, 2025
A liberating female voice
In Annie Ernaux / Arrêt sur images, two actresses bring La Femme gelée to life, revisiting the journey of a woman in search of autonomy and freedom. In a performance full of joy and depth, they embody the voices of Ernaux’s women, trapped by society and family expectations. This vibrant show, imbued with liberation and humanity, invites us all to question the place of women in a world in perpetual transformation.
📍Théâtre Le Public: Rue Braemt 64-70, 1210 Brussels
📆 Dates: May 10 to June 22, 2025
Théâtre Royal des Galeries
Kean: The man of challenges and disillusions
In this play by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Jean-Paul Sartre, the character of Kean, a legendary English actor, embodies excess and contradiction. Generous but debauched, he seeks to transform the world while drowning in the roles of his Shakespearean characters. Kean questions the creator’s place in society and the conflict between Art and Life. All this while reflecting on the disillusions and challenges of a man of genius, trapped by his own demons.
📍 Théâtre des Galeries. Galerie du Roi 32 – 1000 Brussels.
📆 Dates: April 30 to May 25, 2025
Théâtre National
La Vieille Dame et le Serpent
In this play, Nicolas Mouzet-Tagawa explores issues related to the institution, staging a dance between the human body and theatrical machinery. Through a reflection on social roles and institutional structures, he questions how the institution shapes and transforms the individual. The staging plays with set elements such as curtains and pulleys to reveal or conceal the action, linking social experience and dramatic movement.
📍 Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles. Bd Émile Jacqmain 111-115, 1000 Brussels.
📆 Dates: May 27 to 31, 2025
Le Fou Rire Théâtre
Perversions: A gritty comedy
Perversions starts out as a vaudeville, but quickly turns into a politically incorrect, gritty comedy. A couple, Estelle and Pierre, host a New Year’s Eve party for Hélène and Frank. The evening, which seems to get off to a good start, turns into a playground for human caricatures, where each character can find himself both executioner and victim. An acerbic portrait of human relationships and their hidden tensions.
📍 Théâtre Le fou rire. Avenue des Grenadiers 48, 1050 Brussels.
📆 Date: May 22, 23, 24 2025 at 8pm and May 25 at 5pm
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. Join us on December 14 and 15, 2024 for an irresistible dose of self-mockery at the theater this spring!
📍 Théâtre Le fou rire. Avenue des Grenadiers 48, 1050 Brussels
📆 Dates: May 15, 16 and 17, 2025 at 8pm