CLICHÉ: Queer Coming‑of‑Age with Hakim Bouacha at Espace Magh

From 25 February to 6 March, Espace Magh hosts CLICHÉ, a new one‑person show by and with Hakim Bouacha, following his critically acclaimed solo Genesis, nominated for the Prix Maeterlinck 2023. With sharp humour and a lot of nerve, Bouacha dismantles the stereotypes stuck to our social, cultural and gender identities, turning the stage into a playground where clichés are flipped and personal freedom is reclaimed.

A gay teen, one bedroom, and too many clichés

At the centre of CLICHÉ is Mahmoud, a gay teenager left alone in the small bedroom he shares with his brother while their mother drives the latter to football practice. For one hour, the boy seizes this rare moment of solitude to explore himself, his desires and his fears in a space that is usually too narrow – physically and symbolically.

We watch him drift between boredom, silly games, improvised songs, dances and fantasies, jumping from one character to another as he invents a whole gallery of figures out of his imagination. Through these comic and touching transformations, Mahmoud takes us into a world full of clichés and familiar situations, but also surprises and ruptures. Behind the humour, the show reveals the weight of everyday life in a small social‑housing flat, where precarity, loneliness and a heavy secret limit his ability to imagine a light, hopeful future.

Theatre as a space of liberation

With CLICHÉ, Hakim Bouacha uses theatre as a liberating tool, a place where the narrowness of the room on stage contrasts with the vastness of Mahmoud’s inner world. By exploding stereotypes about masculinity, Arab and Maghrebi identities, class and queerness, the show speaks directly to audiences who know what it means to hide part of themselves just to get through the day. It’s a punchy, fast‑paced solo that oscillates between laughter, discomfort and emotional release – perfect for queer, questioning and ally audiences looking for Belgian theatre that actually talks about them.

« Pédé, gaucher, arabe, de Roubaix. »

For tickets and full practical details, check the show page on Espace Magh:
👉 CLICHÉ – Espace Magh

​Members of Visites Particulières (ViPa) can benefit from a special deal – check you email if you are a membre.

Practical information

☎️ Phone: +32 2 274 05 10

📅 Dates: 25 February → 6 March 2026

📍 Venue: Espace Magh, Rue du Poinçon 17, 1000 Brussels

🌐 Website: www.espacemagh.be

📧 Info & reservations: reservation@espacemagh.be | info: info@espacemagh.be

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