15-16 November 2024
Théâtre l’Improviste
KNOCKED is an original musical inspired by 100 years of Belgian history. Take a musical journey through time and discover the people and stories of the city from a typical Brussels doorstep. Performed in English by 7 people on stage, this is the first creation of Brussels Musical Creatives.
Each snapshot was chosen to represent a range of different experiences during the past century, with the return of the Paris Olympics acting as a poignant bookend. Above all, Knocked is a love letter to Brussels: a city full of quirks, stories, and multicultural richness.
Teaser
Doorstep moments from 1924 to 2024. We follow the door’s creation to its demise. The in-between sees us pass through world wars, love, loss, and drastic change with Brussels at the backdrop of it all.
MEET THE CAST
Eliza Popper
The daughter of a musician and granddaughter of an actor and theatre director, Eliza grew up with a calling for the performing arts. She has been a soloist in various choirs in Hungary, Belgium, and the United States. Trained as a dancer in musical theatre, Eliza also gained experience as one of the leaders and choreographers of Budapest Show Choir. Pursuing her passion for musical theatre, Eliza has played various roles, including Inga in Young Frankenstein and Belle in A Christmas Carol, amongst others. Eliza is currently studying vocal performance at AICOM Bruxelles. This is Eliza’s first time writing and composing, but certainly not her last. Eliza loves bringing communities together and was the initiator of the Brussels Musical Creatives. She’s excited to see where the project will lead.
Deniz Celik
Deniz is a tax professional who finds joy in the intricacies of legal provisions and the beauty of music. His musical journey began just three years ago and since then, he’s been grateful for the opportunity to share his passion for classical arias as a soloist at the Brussels Academy of Music. He’s also a member of the European Union Choir, where he learns and grows with fellow music enthusiasts. When not immersed in music, Deniz enjoys the spontaneity of theatrical improvisation, a hobby he’s cherished for six years. He stepped into the shoes of Bill Fordham in Tracy Letts’ sharp and witty drama ‘August: Osage County’ (2019), and of The Mikado in Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera ‘The Mikado’ (2024).
Gabriel Pinto Monteiro
Gabriel was born in Luxembourg in a Portuguese immigrant family. He got very early into music, starting in choirs and playing 2 different instruments, until he started a rock band at 18. Gabriel put music on hold as he came to Brussels to study film, yet those same studies inspired him to go after the genre he has always loved: musicals. To be ready as both a creator and a performer, he took an intensive year of singing courses at AICOM’s Brussels campus, while writing his own musicals - both for the stage and the silver screen.
Gail Rego
Gail grew up in Dubai and has nurtured a variety of passions throughout her life. She loves to sing, dance, host podcasts, and work on social justice initiatives. As a coach for women and non-binary people of colour, she is dedicated to helping others find financial independence. Gail also enjoys creating spaces where community, joy, and liberation come together. She has sung in choirs, is the lead vocalist of Band Therapy, and has acted with theatre groups in Brussels, including the English Comedy Theatre and the Brussels Shakespeare group.
Leah Le Penuizic
Having recently moved to Brussels, Leah grew up in France, watching and singing along to all-time musical classics and dreaming of one day joining the stage. Acting in school plays, singing in choirs and bands, she finally moved to London where she discovered the magic of the West End and doing musical theatre alongside her studies. Ever since she's longed to return to the stage. Now working in Brussels to advocate for renewable energy in Europe, performing in Knocked is an exciting adventure, which promises to teach her more about the history of Brussels!
Kelly Claeys
Growing up in Flanders in a musical-loving family, Kelly was fascinated by the world of music and theatre from a young age, dreaming to be up on the stage herself someday. She participated in several projects throughout the years, such as theatre plays and more recently as the singer in a Brussels-based pop rock band. In recent years, her interest in environmentalism and social change-making took form in both her personal and professional life. She spends her days as a project manager in a sustainability NGO. However, the creative urge kept calling, which led to finally combining her two biggest passions of singing and acting, starring in her first musical project ever.
Rémy Poos
From an eclectic journey, including studying anthropology, the kitchen of a sushi restaurant and a tea shop, Rémy decided to operate a change of direction and go for the opposite of what anyone (especially their parents) would expect: musical theatre. From a hobby, it grew into something more. The stage still calling, they decided to join the AICOM musical school and made their first steps as a professional artist. After studying the art of dance, theatre, and singing for two years, Rémy felt it was time to open those wings and go for the real thing. Hence their presence here, now, for you and everyone!
Created by the
Brussels Musical Creatives
Founded in 2024, the Brussels Musical Creatives seeks to champion and showcase new musical theatre writing and talent. Focusing on collaboration and connection, the team writes individually and collectively as part of the creative process.