The Théâtre Royal Universitaire de Liège (TURLg) is holding its 33rd Rencontre Internationale de Théâtre Universitaire (RITU #33) and a Polish theatre troupe has been invited to participate for the second time. The troupe in question is the Théâtre de l’Entr’Acte from Krakow (Pedagogical University of Krakow) which will present ‘Escurial’ by the Belgian writer Michel de Ghelderode, in a production by Janina Błońska. The performance will take place on Tuesday 23 February at 20:30 in the Salle des Chiroux.

The play
In the gloomy castle of Escurial, the queen lies dying. The dogs are howling wildly, the bells are ringing and the king is preparing for the funeral ceremony. In order to cope with the hand which fate has dealt him, the sovereign must become a sad king. He calls on his jester, Folial. Thanks to him, he has already discovered the power of laughter; now he needs to learn how to weep tears of sorrow. In return for his trouble, the jester will be granted the greatest reward of all: the truth about his murderous jester king.

>>> Practical information

Also showing: the play ‘Yvonne, princesse de Bourgogne’ (Iwona, księżniczka Burgunda), by Witold GOMBROWICZ, which will be performed by the theatre troupe from the Collège de Valleyfield, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (Quebec, Canada) on Wednesday 24 February at 20:30, also in the Salle des Chiroux.

>>> http://www.turlg.be/
>>> programme du RITU #33

RITU was set up in 1983. Since then, Liège has provided the venue for almost 130 university theatre troupes from around fifty countries, including Poland. The festival is one of the oldest in Europe – in fact, it is one of the oldest in the world – and its global renown is undisputed. Performances are often given alongside academic conferences on the theme of making cross-cultural theatre in a university setting. In 1994, the Théâtre Royal Universitaire de Liège founded the Association International du Théâtre à l’Université (AITU) over which it presided from its creation until 2008. Eight global congresses have been organised since: in Liège, Valleyfield (Quebec), Dakar (Senegal), Krakow (Poland), Olympia (Greece), Urbino (Italy), Puebla (Mexico), and Leicester (United Kingdom). The 9th congress took place in Minsk in June 2012.

Théâtre de l’Entr’Acte
Although it hails from Krakow, the Théâtre de l’Entr’Acte, is a French-speaking theatre which was founded in 1993 by Janina and Krzysztof Błoński. Since it was set up, it has played a pivotal role in organising the Festival International de Théâtre Universitaire en Langue Française de Cracovie (International Festival of University Theatre in the French Language) which ran from1992 until 2008, followed by the Journées du théâtre francophone à Cracovie (Krakow Francophone Theatre Days) which began in 2009, in collaboration with the Institut Français in Krakow. The troupe’s twenty performances, given by students from the French department of the Pedagogical University of Krakow, as well as people who have already graduated but wished to continue putting on plays in French, have been shown in Poland and abroad.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
>>> Salle des Chiroux (rue des Croisiers 15, 4000 Liège)
>>> Tuesday 23 February 2016 – 20:30 > 21:30
>>> free entry [book a seat online]