[4] Performances are also given in other languages interspersed with Brusselian, always in the spirit of zwanze, a sarcastic form of folk humour considered typical of Brussels.

[5][6] Around 1830, Antoine "Toone" Genty (1804–1890) opened his poechenellenkelder (literally "puppet cellar"), a traditional theatre of marionettes in the Marolles/Marollen district of Brussels.

[2][3] The origin of Brussels' puppetry stems three centuries earlier from an order issued by Philip II of Spain, son of Charles V, who, hated by the population, had the city's theatres closed to prevent them from becoming gathering places likely to encourage hostility towards the Spanish authorities.

They allowed for great freedom of tone, using a varied repertoire borrowed from popular legends, tales of chivalry, operas, and even religious or historical pieces, broken down into acts and interpreted very freely.

[1][8] Since the 1930s, renowned Belgian artists, writers and patrons have taken part in the defence of this heritage, among them the avant-garde dramatist Michel de Ghelderode (1898–1962), who also wrote plays for the theatre.

Other personalities who supported the theatre and its creations in their lifetimes include the sculptor and jeweller Marcel Wolfers (1886–1976), as well as the painters Jef Bourgeois (1896–1986) and Serge Creuz [fr] (1924–1996).

[2] The district, commonly called the Îlot Sacré since the 1960s due to its resistance to demolition projects, is located within the perimeter of the Grand-Place and consists of very dense city blocks testifying to the urban organisation of Brussels in the Middle Ages.