Trivia

Jeux de massacre: Ionesco worked on the play for forty years, under various titles, such as "The Plague", "The Epidemic in the City" and "The Triumph of Death". The final title, Jeux de massacre, is the name of a game usually found in marketplaces and fairgrounds. The game is about hitting and knocking over moving dolls. Most of Ionessco's pieces are based on his own ideas and material. For this play, however, he has taken his material from Daniel Defoe's book "The Year of the Plague" from 1722, a well-documented description of a plague epidemic in London in 1665.

The play premiered on 11 September 1970 at the Théâtre Montparnasse, directed by Jorge Lavelli.

Flemming Flindt has created the choreography and Thomas Koppel from The Savage Rose has written the music for the ballet, which is based on Eugène Ionesco's play 'Jeux de massacre'. It was first performed on TV for DR - and then staged at Det Kongelige Teater. The modern approach and sensational nude scenes have secured the ballet a significant place in both television and ballet history.

Dødens Triumf is a Danish ballet from 1971 with choreography by Flemming Flindt and music by Thomas Koppel recorded by Savage Rose. Libretto by Flemming Flindt, based on Eugène Ionesco's play Jeux de massacre.

The ballet was premiered by The Royal Ballet, first as a television broadcast on DR in 1971, then as a performance at the Royal Theater in 1972. The main role was danced by Vivi Flindt, and Flemming Flindt took part.

The ballet caused a great stir, partly because of its sensational nude dancing, partly because of the catchy music with The Savage Rose, which was released on record.