Acclaimed political scientist and speechwriter Vincent Stuer's brand-new play 'Rexit!' is coming to Brussels in the final week of January, promising an interesting insight into Belgium's history and two prominent historical figures.
King Leopold III is back in Brussels. Pitted against Belgium's late Foreign Minister Paul-Henri Spaak in a new play based in the EU capital, the pair are attempting to settle the scores over a subject that burdened the minds of wartime Belgians: The Royal Question.
Such is the topic of the new play 'Rexit!' brought to Brussels by writer Stuer, which seeks to show how the two leaders clashed over Belgium's role in the Second World War, as part of a series of retrospective dialogues between the men.
Should King Leopold III return to Belgium and resume his constitutional role, following his controversial actions during the Second World War? This was the question posed to the people of Belgium in 1950.
Bruno Vanden Broecke who plays Paul-Henri Spaak (Left) and Valentijn Dhaenens who plays Leopold (Right). Credit: Danny Willems
During the war, the King remained in Belgium after the Nazi invasion in 1940 and ultimately surrendered his country to the Germans.
Many also condemned him for his interactions with Adolf Hitler, perceiving him as collaborating with the enemy. Despite being a supposed prisoner of war, the King still seemed to enjoy a considerable amount of freedom: various scenes in the play depict him taking trips to Vienna and getting married.
After the war, the Royal Question – whether the Nazi-collaborating King should stay – divided Belgium, pushing the country to the brink of civil war between 1945 to 1951.
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'Rexit!' is a multidimensional performance which attacks the subject head on: not only does it recount a fundamental part of Belgian history, but it also explores the complex relationship between two of the country's most prominent figures of the time.
The play brings politics, patriotism and royal pride to the stage in a whirlwind performance. Stuer's script is direct yet emotive, with touches of humour throughout.
Bruno Vanden Broecke stars as Spaak and Valentijn Dhaenens plays Leopold. Both actors excellently express the tension and conflict between their different characters with opposing world views.
The play will be performed at KVS BOL theatre in Brussels from 25 to 31 January. On Saturday 20 January, Friday 26 January and Tuesday 30 January, Stuer will give an introduction in the bar on the theatre's fifth floor.
For more information, see here.
