Royal “Les Cœurs de Bois” Theatre

Royal “Les Cœurs de Bois” Theatre

The Les Coeurs de Bois company, founded in 1946, moved to the former town hall of Laeken in 2015. The theatre has a hall with 80 seats and is used for the latest creations and traditional puppet theatre performances. During the summer months, the company also organizes ‘Guignolet dans le parc’ (puppet theatre in the park) and the Insifon Festival.

The Compagnie “Les Coeurs de Bois” takes its name from the story of Pinocchio. “My Little Heart of Wood”, that’s what Gepetto called the son he had made. It is therefore quite natural that Félix Bonjean and Antoine Durer, two friends passionate about puppets, gave this name to the company they created in 1946.

The Company quickly entered into various partnerships, working with “Mickey Magazine”, running the Expo 58 childcare centre, or collaborating with Metro Goldwin Mayer for the launch of the film “Lili”. From the 1960s until 2015, the Theater wandered around Brussels between the Bois de la Cambre, at the Chalet Robinson and in the Parks of Brussels, Robebeek and Josaphat, creating on its way “Guignolet in the Park” (2002) and insifon (first under the name of “Guignol au Goûter”, in 2005).

Antoine Durer died in 1980. Félix Bonjean, meanwhile, continued to play until 2013, before also leaving us.

Since 2015, the Theater has moved to Laeken, in the building of the former Town Hall. A stone’s throw from the Royal Palace and the Atomium, the room has a capacity of 80 seats. Apart from the shows, you can admire part of the puppet collection exhibited there. Some of them are over 50 years old!