The Local Germany

'Angela I': Bremen theatre premieres play about Merkel

Fri, 01 Mar 2019 12:33:41 +0100

As Chancellor Angela Merkel readies to slowly leave the political stage and her party consigns her immigration policy to history, a German theatre is putting on a play that already suggests the end of an era: "Angela I."

Your guide to the events marking 100 years of Bauhaus in Germany

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 15:33:53 +0100

Beginning in Berlin Wednesday, organizations across Germany are hosting events and exhibitions to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus art school. The event programme spans the entire year and will be, much like the strategy of founder Walter Gropius, all-encompassing.

Taking the stage from Munich to Magdeburg: 8 highlights of the German theatre scene

Tue, 11 Sep 2018 13:57:10 +0200

Never seen a play in Germany? September marks the opening of new seasons in theatres all around the country. Here are our top picks.

Head of iconic Berlin theatre steps down after left-wing protests

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 13:56:13 +0200

The former head of London's Tate Modern, Chris Dercon, resigned as artistic director of Berlin's legendary Volksbühne theatre on Friday, after months of fierce dispute.

Police end occupation of iconic left-wing Berlin theatre

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 19:06:45 +0200

German police on Thursday removed protesters who had been occupying Berlin's legendary Volksbühne theatre over a dispute surrounding its new director.

Protesters occupy legendary Berlin theatre

Sun, 24 Sep 2017 14:46:00 +0200

Berlin's legendary Volksbuehne theatre has been occupied by a group of protesters objecting to a new director who they fear will push the famously radical venue into a more commercial direction.

Islam-critical French play is huge hit in Hamburg

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:45:48 +0100

Stage adaptations of French author Michel Houellebecq's novel "Submission", in which a Muslim president takes power in 2022 France, have been a hit in Germany after a huge Mideast refugee influx has stoked fears of the impact of Islamic culture.

Backstage drama rocks Berlin theatre scene

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:55:13 +0200

Berlin's world-class theatre scene is facing a tempestuous season as the cash-strapped capital debates new leadership and how much culture it can bankroll. At the centre of the drama is the renowned Volksbühne theatre.

Theatre director fired over Isis outburst

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 19:18:25 +0200

Sewan Latchinian, the ex-director of Rostock state theatre, is taking his former employers to court after they fired him for comparing their cultural policies to those of Isis, it was announced on Wednesday.

'My routines are sexual, it works in Germany'

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 10:13:00 +0100

US comedian Margaret Cho is heading for Germany as part of her latest tour. She told The Local why she is looking forward to trying out her rather rude routines on a German audience.

A theatre and hotel - yours for €750,000

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:19:00 +0100

This 180-seater theatre and hotel in Baden-Württemberg is on the market for €750,000. Perfect for plays and hosting hundreds of guests, it is not your average property.

Stasi victims share memories on stage

Mon, 27 May 2013 16:49:00 +0200

Former victims of East Germany's spying apparatus and a state informant recount their dark memories in a play that, more than two decades after the collapse of the communist regime, aims to exorcise the ghosts of the feared Stasi secret police. AFP's Eloi Rouyer reports.

Theatre makes a drama out of national identity

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:08:00 +0100

English Theatre Berlin is offering a fortnight of performances, theatre, workshops and stage readings for the city's expat community. Mithila Borker reports.

Berlin's English Theatre fights closure threat

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:10:00 +0200

A furore caused when two German theatres painted white actors black is being taken apart by Berlin’s English Theatre in a series of plays on multiculturalism. But a funding cut is threatening it with closure, staff told The Local.

Live wolves in dance show 'the latest shock'

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:37:00 +0200

Two wolves will be the stars of a modern dance performance in front of a live audience in Germany it emerged this week, prompting outrage among animal rights activists.

Burlesque booms in radical, naughty Berlin

Tue, 01 May 2012 18:45:00 +0200

Burlesque is not just a naked lady in a cocktail glass - that is just one style of a complex movement in which Berlin has reclaimed its pre-war global top spot for radical naughtiness. Jessica Ware spoke with one of the capital’s performers.

Copy of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for sale on eBay

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:37:00 +0200

The head of a Shakespeare troupe in Berlin has been forced to auction off on eBay a life-sized replica of the famed Globe Theatre used in a film by Hollywood director Roland Emmerich.

Pump it up: Theatre mixes art with science

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:00:00 +0100

A new production of “An Experiment with an Air Pump” staged at the English Theatre in Berlin proves collaboration between the arts and sciences can thrill audiences, writes The Local’s Ruth Michaelson.

Germany's bravest, baddest director Schlingensief dies

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:15:00 +0200

Christoph Schlingensief, one of Germany's most provocative theatre and film directors, died of lung cancer on Saturday, organisers of the Ruhr Triennale festival said. He was 49.

'Holocaust cabaret' about Demjanjuk case plays Heidelberg

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:56:00 +0200

A Canadian-Jewish playwright is bringing his version of former Sobibor death camp guard John Demjanjuk’s story to the stage, even as a war crimes trial against the 89-year-old contiunes in Munich.