From Medicine Cabinet to Musical: The Existential Life of a Suppository

What if your medicine cabinet suddenly came to life, and a tiny suppository started questioning its destiny? In Brussels, that surreal question gets a funny, poetic and slightly lubricated answer on stage. Adapted from the illustrated book by Alex Vizorek and Caroline Allan, this new Belgian musical comedy turns a pharmacy drawer into a riotous, philosophical playground for kids and adults alike.

At the heart of the story is Paul, a small, unassuming medication with a tragically clear fate: he was designed for rectal administration. But Paul has other plans. He dreams of smelling roses, seeing the world and escaping the dark anonymity of his box. Around him, an entire universe wakes up: blister packs that philosophize, scheming cats, singing roses and a chorus of painkillers searching for meaning. Think Toy Story, but set in a bathroom cabinet, with added existential angst and a very Belgian sense of absurdity.

Directed by Nathalie Uffner, the show leans fully into its mix of burlesque humour and gentle philosophy. The staging plays with scale and texture, transforming everyday pharmacy objects into full‑blown characters, while the scenography by Charly Kleinermann wraps the audience in a bright, off‑kilter world where pills can dance and hygiene products have emotional breakdowns. The costumes by Chandra Vellut push the visual joke even further, turning each object into a recognisable figure with its own attitude, from diva roses to suspicious blister packs.

The cast brings this delirious concept to life with real musical punch. Emmanuel Dell’Erba, Julie Duroisin, Jérôme Louis and Mustii embody this miniature universe with energy, camp flair and just the right dose of tenderness. On top of that, the show features the voice and magical presence of Belgian pop icon Alice on the Roof, adding a dreamlike pop layer to the score. Under the vocal coaching of Daphné D’Heur, the musical numbers move between playful, melancholic and downright absurd, like a playlist for anyone who ever felt “too fragile for this world” – including queer and questioning audiences who will recognise the metaphor of a body that doesn’t quite fit the box it was put in.

Lighting designers Sébastien Mercial and Nicolas Kluge frame this strange voyage in moods that shift from neon pharmacy glow to rosy, almost celestial moments when Paul dares to imagine another life. Because beyond the jokes about suppositories and “dark places”, the show poses a real question: can you become something other than what you were prescribed to be? Is it possible to choose your own path when everything – family, packaging, instructions for use – says you were made for one single role?

For LGBTQ+ audiences, this story of an object trying to escape its assigned function will ring more than a little familiar. Paul’s journey, from the shadowy back of the drawer to the light and scent of the roses, reads like a playful allegory of coming‑out, self‑acceptance and the sometimes ridiculous, sometimes painful steps it takes to reach the surface. The show never moralises, but it gently insists on one idea: sometimes you do have to pass through darker, more uncomfortable places before reaching the top.

Produced by Théâtre de la Toison d’Or, with the support of the Belgian Federal Government’s Tax Shelter via Casa Kafka Pictures, this musical positions itself as both family entertainment and a slyly subversive tale for anyone who has ever felt “misused” by the script life gave them. Equal parts slapstick, poetry and existential comedy, it’s the kind of show that makes kids laugh at toilet humour while adults catch themselves thinking about destiny, bodies and the strange ways we try to escape our packaging.

Paul may or may not manage to bloom outside the box. But one thing is certain: after this musical, you’ll never look at your medicine cabinet – or the roles assigned to you – in quite the same way.

🎟️ Tickets & dates

The musical “L’Histoire du suppositoire qui voulait échapper à sa destinée” runs at the Centre Culturel d’Uccle (CCU) from 14 February to 1 March.

• 💻 Online booking: via Utick –
  https://shop.utick.be/?pos=CCU&module=ACTIVITYSERIEDETAILS&s=4CD4300E-4F8E-3A1A-FCDA-61B0F0C07BA0
• 📅 Full info and programme on the CCU website:
  https://www.ccu.be/projects/lhistoire-du-suppositoire/​

📍 Venue: Centre Culturel d’Uccle (CCU)

• 🏛 Address: Rue Rouge 47, 1180 Uccle, Brussels, Belgium
• ☎ General info: +32 (0)2 374 04 95 – info@ccu.be
• 🎫 Reservations: +32 (0)2 374 64 84 – reservation@ccu.be
• 🌐 Website: https://www.ccu.be