Ghelderode: Seven Plays, Vol. 1

by Michel de Ghelderode, George Hauger (Translator), Gerard Hopkins (Translator)

Seven plays (1926-1934) by Belgian dramatist Ghelderode, translated into English. Also includes excerpts from an interview with the author. First of two volumes.

Plays included in this volume:
- The Women at the Tomb
- Barabbas
- Three Actors and Their Drama
- Pantagleize
- The Blind Men
- Chronicles of Hell
- Lord Halewyn

Genres: Theatre, France, Plays

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Michel de Ghelderode, pseudonyme d'Adémar Adolphe Louis Martens, était un écrivain belge d'origine flamande et d'expression française. Il a également utilisé d'autres pseudonymes: Philostene Costenoble, Jac Nolan et Babylas.

Michel de Ghelderode dans la Wikipédia française

Site consacré à Ghelderode (En français/In French)

Michel de Ghelderode, pseudoniem van Adémar Adolphe Louis Martens, was een Vlaamse schrijver die in het Frans schreef. Hij schreef ook onder de pseudoniemen Philostene Costenoble, Jac Nolan en Babylas.

Michel de Ghelderode in de Nederlandstalige Wikipedia


Michel de Ghelderode, nom de plume of Louis Adolphe Adémar Martens, was a Belgian writer of Flemish descent who wrote in French. He also used other pseudonyms: Philostene Costenoble, Jac and Nolan Babylas.

Michel de Ghelderode in the English Wikipedia

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite plays is the one act Escorial. It concerns the King of Spain, the very unpopular ruler of Flanders for I believe 100 years. But the central character is the kings fool. The fool sits on the throne and pretends to be king. Everyone appears to believe him.

The real king was Charles II who was supposedly mad. I suppose Ghelderode point was if everyone treats a fool as if he is king how is that different than treating a madman as if he is sane.

If I were to stage it I wanted to pair it with Purgatory by William Butler Yeats.

[Perry Ruhland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these plays by de Ghelderode are better than others, all of them are good, none reach the heights of his short fiction. The lengthy interview that serves as a forward is the best part.

[Julian Munds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gheldrode writes a kind of poetic theatre. His images are vibrant and red. His scenes full of angry faith. But it is not a Christian faith. It is a faith that you see when you look at stainglass window on cathedral. Pagan. Earthy. And opaque. Patagleize is my favourite play in this collection. Barrabas as well. The Blind Men is fascinating. Chronicles of hell would be crazy to watch and feel. The others are slow. Halewyn makes little impact.