Ten plays, 18 days, four venues – yes, it’s time for Theatertreffen, Berlin’s annual German-language theater jamboree. Now in its 61st year, the event hosted by Berliner Festspiele (02–20.05.2024) will once again stage ten of the most “remarkable” plays put on in Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the past 12 months. This year’s festival is set to open with a version of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s classic play Nathan the Wise directed by Ulrich Rasche at Salzburger Festspiele. As with many of the performances, tickets for the play were sold out within hours (or minutes!) of going on sale two weeks ago. But fear not: you can still experience the program, even if it’s not a front row seat at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Besides trying your luck at the evening box office, you can attend Theatertreffen’s further companion program, which once again includes the Burning Issues theater conference (10–12.05). This gathering at the Deutsches Theater Berlin and Sophiensaele venues invites leading players from the industry to opine on an issue of the day – this time solidarity in the arts and cultural sector.
If it’s drama that you’re looking for, you can watch three of the Theatertreffen plays from the comfort of your living room: Bucket List (Schaubühne) Laios Anthropolis II (Deutsches SchauSpielHaus Hamburg) and Macbeth(Schauspielhaus Bochum) will all be available to stream on the festival media library starting today (02.05). You can check out the full Theatertreffen program on the website, where any remaining presale tickets will be released. Best be quick, though: tickets will disappear quicker than a cloud of theater fog.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Armin Smailovic, Konrad Fersterer, Monika Rittershaus
Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Schaperstr.24, 10719 Berlin–Wilmersdorf; map
Theatertreffen (02–20.05.2024) – any remaining tickets will be released on the website or at the box office on the night.
@berlinerfestspiele
