Waterloo — The Musical

The Historical Setting

Real places.
Imagined lives.

Waterloo draws on places steeped in history to bring its fictional characters to life.

Waterloo and its surroundings

A landscape steeped in history.

Our musical comes to life in places shaped by history. Inns, villages and country lanes form the backdrop to lives that will intertwine as the battle of 18 June 1815 approaches.

Although Waterloo gave the battle its name, the fighting took place mainly within what are now the municipalities of Braine-l’Alleud and Lasne, which includes Plancenoit.

The Lion at the summit of Waterloo’s mound, with an artistic evocation of troops on the battlefield in the background
An artistic evocation of the Lion of Waterloo and the memory of the battle.

The Waterloo inn

Wellington’s headquarters.

In the heart of Waterloo, the Bodenghien Inn welcomed the Duke of Wellington, who established his headquarters there in June 1815. Today, the building houses the Wellington Museum.

In our show, this inn inspires the world of Joséphine and Rosemary: a place of encounters, songs and witty exchanges, where life goes on as the battle draws near.

An old view of the Waterloo inn’s façade, with people outside the entrance
An old view of the Waterloo inn.

Mont-Saint-Jean Farm

The British field hospital.

In June 1815, Mont-Saint-Jean Farm became the field hospital for Wellington’s troops. Thousands of wounded soldiers were received and treated there. Behind the fighting, another story was unfolding: that of the men striving to save lives.

This place inspires the scenes in which, amid the chaos, acts of care and the bonds between the characters take on their full significance.

Illustration of Mont-Saint-Jean’s courtyard as a field hospital, with soldiers and caregivers
An evocation of Mont-Saint-Jean’s field hospital in 1815, inspired by an old view of the farm.

These historic places inspire the show. The characters and their adventures freely blend history and fiction.