L'homme qui avait le soleil dans sa poche

The Man Who Had the Sun in His Pocket

Jean Louvet (wr. 1980).

The subject of the play is Julièn Lahaut, who at the coronation of Baudouin as King of the Belgians in 1950 called out "Long live the Republic." Shortly thereafter he was murdered in his home by two unidentified assassins. Avoiding a normal narrative structure, the play takes place in a sort of timeless limbo where the assassination will take place, is taking place, and has taken place all at once. Proletarian characters drift in and out in a dreamlike setting, shedding light on Lahaut's historical significance. The mood is ephemeral, and the play's action is advanced through tableaux, poeticized speeches, and songs rather than a series of events. It gives the impression of being a dramatic meditation on Lahaut's death.

DAVID WILLINGER