99 years after Bohr and Heisenberg met in Brussels, they meet again - on stage

Brussels, September 15, 2026 - In October 1927, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg were both in Brussels for the fifth Solvay Conference on Physics. Einstein, Schrödinger and Marie Curie were there too. 99 years later, Bohr and Heisenberg are back in Brussels. This time, on stage. From 15 October, The Bridge Theatre presents a new Brussels production of Michael Frayn’s multi-award-winning Copenhagen.

At the heart of the play is a meeting that still puzzles historians. Bohr and Heisenberg had once been close friends and collaborators. The Second World War put them on opposing sides: Heisenberg became a leading figure in Germany’s atomic research programme, while Bohr was living in Nazi-occupied Denmark until his escape in 1943.

In 1941, Heisenberg travelled to Copenhagen to meet Bohr and his wife Margrethe. The encounter did not go well. What was said - and, crucially, why Heisenberg came - has never been fully established.

Was he looking for information? Did he want to warn Bohr? Was he seeking his approval? And how far did he feel responsible for where his scientific work might lead?

“Copenhagen may be set more than ​
​eighty years ago, but the questions it asks ​
​are very much with us today.”

Robert Chevara, director and set designer

The weight of our own discoveries

Michael Frayn has Bohr, Heisenberg and Margrethe return to that one evening again and again. Memories clash. Motives are questioned. No version quite settles the matter. And underneath it all sits another question: once knowledge exists, who is responsible for what happens next?

Nearly a century later, that question has not gone away. AI is developing at breakneck speed, bringing the same uncomfortable debate back to the table: just because we can create something, does that mean we should? In Copenhagen, that debate is anything but abstract. It plays out between three people with a complicated shared history.

First staged in London in 1998, Copenhagen has become one of Frayn’s most celebrated plays, winning both the Tony Award for Best Play and the Olivier Award for Best New Play.

Up close

For this new production, director and set designer Robert Chevara brings the audience unusually close to the action. Part of the audience sits on either side of the stage, just metres from the actors. There is very little distance between the audience and the encounter between Bohr, Heisenberg and Margrethe.

“Copenhagen may be set more than eighty years ago, but the questions it asks are very much with us today. When we talk about science and innovation, it’s easy to focus on the breakthrough itself. But where will it lead us, and where does our responsibility for it end? With technologies like AI and drone warfare developing so quickly, those questions feel incredibly relevant today.” Robert Chevara, regisseur en scenograaf

British-born and Berlin-based, Chevara is an award-winning international theatre, film and opera director whose work has been staged at venues including The Royal Opera House, The Old Vic, San Francisco Opera and the Opéra Comique in Paris. Copenhagen marks his third collaboration with The Bridge Theatre.

Brussels, 99 years later

The Brussels link is more than a nice coincidence. From 24 to 29 October 1927, the city hosted the fifth Solvay Conference on Physics. Bohr, Heisenberg, Einstein, Schrödinger, Born and Curie were among the 29 participants; 17 were or would become Nobel laureates. Bohr presented his ideas on complementarity, while Heisenberg was one of the key figures behind the new quantum mechanics.

99 years later, Copenhagen brings Bohr and Heisenberg back to Brussels - on stage. And this is not a touring production passing through: The Bridge Theatre is creating the production here, with a European cast and creative team. German actor Manuel Klein plays Werner Heisenberg, Danish actor Peter Hald plays Niels Bohr and British actor Eva Fontaine portrays Margrethe Bohr.

A rather fitting return to Brussels.

The Bridge Discussions

The conversation continues before selected performances with a series of Bridge Discussions. Under the theme ‘The Weight of Our Own Discoveries’, guests connect the play with questions around AI, innovation and the history and science behind Copenhagen.

The current programme includes a Q&A with director and designer Robert Chevara (15 October); 'The Need to Shake Off the AI Hype' with Caroline De Cock, founder and managing director of N-Square (22 October); a Q&A with the cast (25 October); 'Research and innovation: do they, should they, influence policy?' with Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission's DG Research and Innovation (27 October); and 'Copenhagen: The History & Science Behind the Play' with ULB professor Laurens Vanderstraeten (29 October).

THE CAST

MANUEL KLEIN - Werner Heisenberg

De Duitse acteur Manuel Klein woont en werkt sinds 2017 in Londen. In 2026 speelde hij Friedrich in War Horse in het National Theatre. Op televisie was hij onder meer te zien in SAS: Rogue Heroes, Outlander en We Were the Lucky Ones. Zijn filmwerk omvat Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny en Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

PETER HALD - ​ Niels Bohr

De Deense acteur Peter Hald studeerde aan The National School of Acting en werkte jarenlang bij The Royal Theatre, het nationale theater van Denemarken in Kopenhagen. Hij werkte samen met Oscarwinnaar Bille August en was onder meer te zien in de veelgeprezen Scandinavische reeks Bron/Broen (The Bridge) voor SVT & DR en When the Dust Settles.

EVA FONTAINE - Margrethe Bohr

De Britse actrice Eva Fontaine bouwde een uitgebreide carrière uit in theater en televisie. Ze stond onder meer op de planken van The Old Vic en in Londens West End. Op televisie was ze te zien in onder andere EastEnders, Emmerdale, Amandaland, Big Mood en Disney's The Stolen Girl.

THE CREATIVE TEAM

ROBERT CHEVARA - Director & Set Designer

British-born and Berlin-based Robert Chevara is an award-winning international theatre, film and opera director. He has directed at venues including The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, The Old Vic, San Francisco Opera and the Opéra Comique in Paris. Copenhagen is his third collaboration with The Bridge Theatre.

NICO DE ROOIJ - Lighting Designer

Dutch lighting designer Nico de Rooij has more than 25 years of experience across theatre, opera, dance, concerts and immersive installations. He has collaborated with artists including Nils Frahm, Ólafur Arnalds, Efterklang, John Grant and Meg Stuart

IOANA MANDRESCU - Sounddesigner

Romanian-born, Brussels-based sound artist, composer and pianist Ioana Mandrescu works across contemporary music, theatre and sound art. Her work has been presented across Europe, and she previously created the sound design for The Bridge Theatre’s Frankie and Johnny.

SAM CECI - Costume Designer

Mons-born and Brussels-based costume designer Sam Ceci creates bespoke costumes for theatre, dance, music and performance. Their work combines craftsmanship with a strong focus on character and storytelling.