Faith, power and desire collide in a bold reimagining of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure

The Brussels Shakespeare Society returns this autumn with a daring new production of Measure for Measure, staged at La Maison qui Chante from 5 to 9 November.

Set in a modern-day America ruled by an ultra-conservative religious regime, this powerful adaptation transforms Shakespeare’s problem play into a mirror for our times — exploring how state control, moral hypocrisy and personal freedom clash in a society obsessed with sexual morality.

Director Esther Pozo Vera describes the production as “a parable about power — political, spiritual, and sexual. It’s Shakespeare’s most unsettling moral drama, and in a world of purity laws and public shaming, it feels eerily current.”

Abandoning a city drowning in sin, Duke Vincentio entrusts his power to Angelo, a man seemingly devoted to purity and order. Disguised as a friar, he watches from the shadows as Angelo’s moral crusade collapses into corruption — sentencing to death Claudio for love while attempting to possess his sister Isabella, under the guise of righteousness.

Pozo Vera says: “After the woke movement, the Western world is witnessing the rise of Christian fundamentalism in politics with its focus on morality and punitive justice, with little space for mercy, and where empathy is considered dangerous.”

It is through this lens that Measure for Measure offers a cautionary tale about the risks associated with this kind of Christian fundamentalist government, she believes. “It warns about its impact on society as a whole, on women in particular and on the state,” adds Pozo Vera, who strikes the following note of caution. “The danger that democracy could slip into autocracy or even theocracy ultimately has little to do with the Christian message and much more with to do with simply gaining and exercising power over others.”

Meanwhile, the play’s cast balances intensity with humanity, bringing to life Shakespeare’s complex web of deception and integrity. Isabella’s moral courage and the Duke’s secret manipulations resonate in a setting where privacy no longer exists. Ultimately, the play asks whether mercy can survive in a system built on fear.

Visually, the show blends stark modern design with echoes of religious iconography. Lighting and sound evoke both the glare of interrogation and the stillness of confession. Each scene feels like a moral battleground, where the line between justice and tyranny grows dangerously thin.

For Brussels audiences long drawn to BSS’s contemporary interpretations, this production offers something both urgent and unsettling — a reminder that Shakespeare’s questions about law, virtue, and forgiveness remain timeless.

Whether you come for the gripping drama, the razor-sharp relevance, or simply the thrill of live theatre at its most thought-provoking, Measure for Measure promises to provoke conversations that linger long after the final curtain.

Measure for Measure
5 to 9 November
La Maison qui Chante
Rue du Viaduc 122
Ixelles

Photos: Isabella and Angelo rehearsing Measure for Measure ©BSS