Culture beat - October 17

Twelve Angry Men may have been written in 1957 but the gripping story of jurors deliberating over a murder case remains enthralling. One reason why the American Theatre Company is staging the classic drama from October 22 to 26 at Bozar. Deborah Griffith directs the play by Reginald Rose.

From contemporary photographs to screenings, Walk #2 Still & moving images is a four-day promenade tour at various locations in Ixelles, showing until October 20. Exhibitions, films and talks at the La Quincaillerie brasserie (event nerve centre) plus numerous art galleries and cafés. Seventeen artists from Belgium and abroad display their works.

Bozar’s English-language book club kicks off its third season with Spanish master of mystery Javier Marías on October 22. The Infatuations is the English translation of his latest novel Los enamoramientos, being billed as his best book to date. The club’s new moderator US writer Benjamin Moser talks to the author about the work which stylishly explores chance encounters (in English).

Belgian-Swiss choreographer Cindy Van Acker performs alongside Tamara Bacci in her new work Drift which combines body language, lighting and sound to evoke the many meanings of the word. The due is at Kaaitheater on October 18 and 19.

Autumn is traditionally the season for wine festivals and Megavino 2013, as the name suggests, is the biggest in Brussels. From October 18 to 21, the 15th edition at Brussels Expo invites guest country Spain to show off its Riojas, Reservas and sparkling cavas. The Mediterranean country is not only one of the oldest wine growing countries in the world, it is also offers good value. More than 100 producers from numerous countries, including Belgium, will be serving up a tempting array of tipples.

Outside Brussels

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet inaugurated the new Théâtre de Liège earlier this month, although the early tragedy has been fittingly Belgicised with a Walloon Romeo falling in love with a Flemish Juliet. Now the bilingual production Roméo et Juliette is playing at Aula Magna in Louvain-la-Neuve until October 25. The spectacular musical, set in Brussels, is staged by Belgo-French director Yves Beaunesne. Each actor performs in his own language (French or Dutch) with surtitles for the other.