Escurial

A Belgian playwright recognized as a founder of avant-garde French theatre. Inspired by plots from history, folklore, the Sacred Scripture—as well as by vaudeville and the circus—Ghelderode’s poetic theatre is allegorical, with elements of fantasy and mysticism. Among his many characters are jesters, ghosts, and clowns. The setting is most often medieval Flanders, and the atmosphere is steeped in decay and decomposition.

His most popular play became “Escurial” (Escurial, 1928), which he created after visiting the Spanish Golden Age Escorial (Escurial, 1928). There are only two heroes— the Spanish king and his jester, Foliál (not counting occasional monks and an executioner). It’s an extremely powerful, intensely tense, and even frightening work. “Escurial” is the summer residence of Spanish kings—the setting for the play.