4 October 1968. At La Monnaie in Brussels, the American musical Man of La Mancha – with book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion – premieres, translated to French by none other than Jacques Brel, with Brel himself in the lead role.

Ten years later, on 9 October 1978, the world-famous Brussels chansonnier dies. Only once throughout his impressive career did Jacques Brel adopt another artist's work - for L’Homme de La Mancha because he loves the musical so much, and strongly identifies with Cervantes’ legendary hero Don Quixote.

Half a century later KVS, La Monnaie and Théâtre de Liège unite to reinterpret Cervantes’ and Brel’s masterpiece for the city of tomorrow and today. Michael De Cock and Junior Mthombeni direct a strong cast, including lauded Brel-performer Filip Jordens, soprano Ana Naqe and actor François Beukelaers. 

An ode to Brel and to Brussels, to imagination, to poetry and to the impossible dreams that our times so yearn for. 'Despite its explosive staging all the way through, this performance anything but bombs. It’s unexpected, poetic, and has a masterful finish.' We cannot say it better than the radio programme Entrez sans frapper (RTBF).