Broadcast: Sunday 6th December, 1964
Character: The Chief of Police
First performed in 1957, The Balcony remains one of the most celebrated and provocative works by the French playwright Jean Genet. Set in an unnamed city consumed by revolution, the play primarily unfolds within the Grand Balcony, an elaborate brothel where clients indulge fantasies of power by assuming the roles of bishops, judges, generals, and other figures of authority. As the rebellion rages outside, the distinction between illusion and reality gradually dissolves, resulting in one of the most fascinating examinations of power ever written for the stage.
Rather than a mere political drama, The Balcony serves as a meditation on image, performance, and authority. Genet suggests that institutions are sustained not only by force but by ritual, symbolism, and spectacle. The play consistently challenges the audience to consider whether power resides in reality itself or simply in the appearance of power.
Among the most compelling characters is the Chief of Police (Peter Wyngarde), often referred to as George. While other characters are content to impersonate positions of authority, the Chief of Police possesses actual authority within the society outside the brothel. Paradoxically, however, he is one of the most insecure and dissatisfied figures in the drama. He is obsessed with his legacy and desperately seeks a form of immortality that transcends his official position.
The brilliance of this character lies in such contradiction. Although the Chief of Police commands power, it is never sufficient. He envies the symbolic status enjoyed by the fantasy figures enacted within the Grand Balcony. A recurring source of his frustration is that none of the brothel’s clients wish to assume his role in their role-playing scenarios. To him, this signifies a lack of mythic importance; while bishops, judges, and generals inspire fantasies, the Chief of Police does not. This profoundly wounds his vanity and serves as one of his primary motivations throughout the play.
On one level, the character is darkly comic. His longing to be immortalised appears almost absurd, particularly amidst the life-and-death struggle occurring outside. Yet, Genet utilises this vanity to expose a universal human desire: the wish to matter, to be remembered, and to become larger than life. The Chief of Police seeks not merely authority, but symbolic permanence.
His relationship with Irma (Rosalind Shanks), the proprietor of the Grand Balcony, further enhances the complexity of his character. As both her lover and protector, he occupies a position that is simultaneously intimate and political. Their interactions reveal his ambitions, insecurities, and an inherent desire for recognition. Although he projects an image of confidence and command, he repeatedly demonstrates a dependence on external validation.
As the revolution intensifies, the Chief of Police becomes increasingly central to the drama’s exploration of power. While governments, institutions, and social structures appear to collapse, he remains fixated upon his legacy. In many respects, he grasps Genet’s central premise more profoundly than any other character: that power survives through symbolism. Consequently, his objective is not merely to exercise control, but to transform himself into a symbol.
The role reaches its fullest significance in the final stages of the play, where fantasy and reality converge. The imagined authority enacted within the brothel begins to supplant the destroyed authority of the external world. In this surreal environment, the Chief of Police finally achieves a form of the recognition he has long sought. However, Genet presents this achievement ambiguously; it serves as both a triumph and a satire of ambition, suggesting that the pursuit of immortality may be another theatrical illusion.
For an actor, the Chief of Police is an exceptionally rewarding role. The part requires an imposing presence and authority, balanced with vulnerability, humour, and a capacity for self-delusion. The character must appear simultaneously powerful and pathetic, commanding yet insecure. When portrayed successfully, he becomes one of the most memorable figures in modern theatre.
Ultimately, The Balcony remains a masterpiece of twentieth-century drama because it interrogates the nature of reality, authority, and identity. At its centre, the Chief of Police stands as one of Genet’s most fascinating creations. His obsessive desire to transform himself into a legend reflects the play’s broader preoccupation with image and illusion. Rather than being a mere representative of law and order, he becomes a symbol of the enduring human craving for recognition and permanence. By the conclusion of the play, the audience is left to consider whether the Chief of Police has achieved true greatness or has simply become another performer in Genet’s hall of mirrors.
