It didn’t take much for him to immerse himself in the life of the sovereign (1876-1965). And feel the desire to write a play, a comedy more precisely, The Red Queento be discovered at the Théâtre du Parc, from January 23. A large-scale and long-term project, which started in 2021 with a call for applications from the SACD (Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers) to obtain the “Autrices grandescènes” scholarship, i.e. a scholarship allowing four authors (have were selected Valériane De Maerteleire, Cécile Hupin, Stéphanie Mangez and Virginie Thirion) to write a play for a large distribution, in partnership with four theaters (respectively Le Théâtre du Parc, the Théâtre de Liège, Le Public and Océan Nord).
A queen of the Belgians for 15,000 euros
gull“It was the first time I wrote about a real person. I really thought, at one point, that I was going to drown in the mass of historical information.
“From the start, Thierry Debroux (Director of the Park, Editor’s note)who knew me for having written the play Hairdresser of soulssupported and accompanied me”welcomes the author. Who confides: “This is the first time I wrote about a character who existed. I really thought, at one point, that I was going to drown in the mass of historical information. I realized that I had to learn about the royal family, understand, dig deeper… Then, Queen Elizabeth became interested in communism, so you have to understand what communism is and, to understand communism, it you have to read Marx, etc., which takes a long time. If I had not won this scholarship, which is a salary, to free up time to write, I would not have reached the end of this text”.
A free-spirited and whimsical queen
Valériane De Maerteleire therefore begins her project starting from this singular fact: a queen who is interested in communism, “because Elisabeth really thought that it was the solution for the world of tomorrow”. So, “she pasted into small notebooks all the articles which concerned Lenin since 1924.”. Et, “during her trip to the USSR, she insisted on having her photo taken on Lenin’s bench”. “By studying the character, continues the author, I started to get attached to her. Élisabeth had a very rich life, at a time when women were relegated to a more decorative place. And she always chose to place herself elsewhere.”.
Duchess in Bavaria, Elisabeth is the daughter of Charles Theodore of Wittelsbach and the Infanta Maria Josephus of Portugal. Her godmother is her aunt, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, nicknamed “Sissi”. From a young age, she asserted herself as an independent and non-conformist young woman, passionate about science, the arts, travel, music and literature. In 1900, she married Prince Albert of Belgium, who became king in 1909 and reigned until 1934, when he died tragically in a mountaineering accident in Marche-les-Dames. Together, they had three children: Léopold (future King Léopold III), Charles and Marie-José. Free-spirited, Queen Elizabeth also stands out for her fantasy, her cheerfulness and her humor. She will never fit into the mold of the crowned heads of the time. During the First World War, she distinguished herself by devoting her time to the wounded and soldiers. And, during the Second War, she intervened regularly to protect Belgian Jews.
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“We looked for the essence of the character”
“I knew almost nothing about Queen Elizabeth. For a month, I did my research and this woman fascinated me!”rejoices Jo Deseure, who will be “The Red Queen” at the Park, accompanied by five other performers (Lola Delcorps, Bruno Georis, Rémy Thiebaut, Benoît Van Dorslaer and Anouchka Vingtier). “She was whimsical, had a taste for traveling. At over 80, she still did yoga, sculpture, painting… She was a jack of all trades. For this role, I have to follow her, that I am up to it.” And to bring it to life on stage, “we looked for connections with the game”continues the actress, more than a physical resemblance “since the Queen was thin and small and I can’t trim my shins”she smiled. “We looked for the essence of the character and not the double”abounds Valeriane De Maerteleire.
Then, notes Jo Deseure, “it’s swollen [de la part de Valériane De Maerteleire] to choose to write about a woman of a certain age (the Queen was 82 years old in 1958, Editor’s note)“. “It’s sisterhood. It’s a real woman’s gift [dramaturge] to woman [actrice]”the 77-year-old actress is moved, because it’s a reality, “generally speaking, guys work more than us because there are more men’s roles in the theater”. Not to mention, adds Valériane De Maerteleire, that“even today, it remains more complicated, from the age of 50, to land a role for a woman than for a man”.
→ Brussels, Théâtre du Parc, 1h30 without intermission, from 13 years old, from January 23 to February 22. Info and res. at 02.505.30.30 or on www.theatreduparc.be
