history

In 1601, the first part of a trial took place at the Inn De Spiegel in Eppegem, where a certain Jasper Colveniers and his wife Liesbeth Lauwers found themselves in the dock. They were accused of bringing characters to life in a puppet theatre - Saint Peter and Saint Paul, a friar and the devil’s evil spirit. With these puppets, it was claimed that they performed scandalous plays at fairs and parties, “as if by magic”.

The trial, however, was hardly fair. Jasper and Liesbeth’s fellow villagers rallied behind them, prompting the local magistrate to move the proceedings elsewhere.

Jasper defended himself, explaining that he had hand-carved the puppets from simple wood, that he and his wife had dressed and decorated them themselves, and that they were moved with his own hands and skill – there was no devilish interference.

But the verdict was harsh: the puppets were to be confiscated and burnt, Jasper was released after paying 98 florins, but was banned from performing again, and his wife, Liesbeth, was accused of witchcraft and tortured to death.

Though tragic, this trial now stands as one of the earliest records of puppetry in the Middle Ages.

In the first half of the 20th century, Felix Van Ransbeeck – known as Fé to friends – married Virginie Willems, a descendant of the Inn De Spiegel’s original owners. In 1965, he founded a puppet theatre, naming it Theater De Spiegel.

Jasper and Liesbeth, no doubt, are grinning in their graves.

A glass designer and decorator by trade, Félix Van Ransbeeck spent his spare time crafting hand, stick and rod puppets. From 1965, he started devising and directing puppet shows for local children and adults alike. His three sons - aged 12, 13 and 14 - were recruited at an early age. Their garage doubled as a theatre hall. The performances soon gained traction, leading to invitations to perform at parties.

And so, Theater De Spiegel became a travelling show. Before long, this soon took them abroad, performing at the Intersoc camping holidays, organised by the Christian Mutuality health fund for young people. Loaded down like pack mules, they would travel by night train to Basel, Sankt Moritz, Livigno and Leysin.

The first major success came with ‘Karel en de Elegast’, a puppet show for adults. Felix’s unique puppet theatre earned him the prestigious Landjuweel award for most outstanding production. His three sons trained at the School for Puppetry in Mechelen, with the youngest, Karel, graduating at the tender age of 12.

1975

Theater De Spiegel continued to flourish. Every year, Fé created a new show, sometimes performing as many as 25 times a season. However, as success grew, the eldest sons dropped out, leaving just Karel to take on a bigger role.

1982

To mark the 100th birthday of Kontich writer Abraham Hans (famous for ‘Bakelandt’, among others), Theater De Spiegel staged ‘De lotgevallen van Willem Jeroens’ (The Fortunes of Willem Jeroens), based on several of Hans’s historical short stories. The production became a major success, with 12 puppeteers from Kontich's amateur circles involved.

Meanwhile, Karel, now 19, left for Hungary to study puppet theatre and theatre scenography, something unavailable in Belgium. After receiving a scholarship from Queen Fabiola's ‘Vocation Foundation’, he studied in Budapest, connected to the State Puppet Theatre, for a year. There, he learnt about musical theatre. For his final test,  Karel created ‘King Midas’, a production he later performed at the Dommelhof Puppet Festival, where it proved an instant hit.

Theater De Spiegel became a non-profit-making organisation, with Karel taking over as artistic director from Fé. In 1986, ‘Huizewuizewoutertje’ marked the company’s first truly professional production, performing 120 times in its debut year. It remained in the repertoire until 1996, and in 1991, it came heartbeatingly close to winning the Landjuweel award.

1994

As Theater De Spiegel professionalised further, Karel often remained a one-man show - creator, director, stage designer, manipulator and actor. That year, he clinched the coveted Landjuweel for puppetry, winning with two solo performances ‘Snow White’ and ‘Tom Thumb’.

Theater De Spiegel secured full subsidies as a professional company, expanding its team and turning its focus towards musical theatre that incorporates figures and objects. It also became the first – and still the only - company to create performances for the very young, starting from just 3 months old.

2008

Theater De Spiegel’s reputation as a pioneer in theatre for the tiniest tots continued to grow, earning acclaim both at home and abroad. In tandem with Musica and Dommelhof, they launched the biennial Babelut festival, immersing children up to 4 years old in the world of theatre and music.

2014

Theater De Spiegel made DE Studio in Antwerp its permanent home, though they still toured widely, from Wezembeek-Oppem in Belgium to Montreal in Canada, and everywhere in between.

2015

Theater De Spiegel celebrated its 50th anniversary in spectacular style. 

Theater De Spiegel became one of Flanders’ most internationally focused youth theatre companies. That year, one in three Flemish youth performances seen abroad was a Theater De Spiegel production.

2022

Theater De Spiegel evolved into De Spiegel, a transdisciplinary company recognised for both its artistic innovation and its exceptional community-building efforts. The Flemish Community's assessment committee praised its achievements. De Spiegel now opens doors to other sectors, including science, heritage and education, while nurturing young creators with fresh ideas for this remarkable audience.