Theatre entertainment in Europe
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Hermitage Theatre
This austere neoclassical theatre – once the private theatre of the imperial family – stands on the site of the original Winter Palace of Peter I. At the behest of Catherine the Great, Giacomo Quarenghi designed the theatre to resemble an amphitheatre, with statues of Apollo and the Muses occupying the niches. During the Soviet period, this hall was used more often for lectures and such, but it reopened as a theatre in the 1980s. Appropriate for the setting, performances range from Tchaikovsky to Tchaikovsky. Some of the musical festivals also use this venue for performances.
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Gardzienice Theatre's Ticket Office
Founded in 1977, 28km southeast of Lublin, Gardzienice Theatre is renowned in artistic circles for energetic, heady performances. Under the guidance of artistic director and founder Wlodzimierz Staniewski, dramatic montages derive inspiration from gatherings with indigenous communities throughout and beyond Poland. Check whether they are in town at the ticket office.
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Gaiety Theatre
Opened in 1871, this theatre is used for modern plays, TV shows, musical comedies and revues.
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Musikhalle
The premier address for classical concerts is this splendid neobaroque edifice, home to the State Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Along with the opera house, it's now artistically directed by the world's leading female conductor, Australian Simone Young.
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Philharmonia
The brilliant Philharmonia, originally built as an oil-boom-era casino, has an even grander interior and offers an eclectic (if unpredictable) concert programme.
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Rudolfinum
This complex of concert halls and offices built in neo-Renaissance style in the late 19th century is the home turf of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra – the impressive Dvořák Hall, its stage dominated by a vast organ, is one of the main concert venues for the Prague Spring festival. The building served as the seat of the Czechoslovak parliament from 1918 to 1938. The northern part of the complex (entrance facing the river) houses the Galerie Rudolfinum, a gallery that specialises in changing exhibitions of contemporary art. There’s also a sumptuous cafe with tables ranged amid the Corinthian splendour of the Column Hall.
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Crikoteka Archive
Even in life it was hard to define Tadeusz Kantor, a master of both performance and visual arts, who blurred the line between genres. Poet, painter, set designer and actor, he delighted and confounded his audiences with his one-man avant-garde extravaganzas. The venue for his performances was the Cricot 2 Theatre - defunct since his death in 1990. But the Crikoteka archive documents his life work, maintaining a collection of set designs, costumes, photographs and videos. Kantor's Atelier is also open to the public, housing a small gallery of pieces that the artist created towards the end of his life.
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Donmar Warehouse
A not-for-profit company that has forged itself a West End reputation.
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Komissarzhevskaya Theatre
Now buried in Tikhvin Cemetery, Vera Fedorovna Kommisarzhevskaya was a great St Petersburg actress who gained her reputation as leading lady in Vsevolod Meyerhold performances. In the early years of the 20th century, Kommisarzhevskaya founded an acting troupe that performed in the Passage concert hall, staging plays by all of the famous playwrights of the day, including Mikhail Gorky and Anton Chekhov. Revived in the midst of the Siege, the theatre was renamed in honour of the great actress. These days, headed by artistic director Victor Novikov, it is known for its modern treatment of classic plays.
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Teatro Junghans
Cutting-edge theatre takes on a literal meaning at this three-sided stage, nicknamed Teatro Formaggino (Little Cheese Theatre) because it looks like a wedge of cheese. The experimental theatre seats 150, but you’re not expected to just sit there: Teatro Junghans offers workshops on costume design in August, mask-acting in July and September, and commedia dell’arte (archetypal improvisational comedy) in August and September. If you’d rather leave that sort of thing to the professionals, check the online calendar for performances when the company is in residence.
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Royal Shakespeare Company
Coming to Stratford without seeing a production of Shakespeare would be like going to Rome and not visiting the Vatican. The three theatre spaces run by the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company have witnessed performances by such legends as Lawrence Olivier, Richard Burton, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart (of Star Trek fame) and former Dr Who, David Tennant.
There are three grand stages in Stratford – Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre on Waterside and the Courtyard Theatre on Southern La. The first two properties were extensively redeveloped between 2007 and 2010 – contact the RSC for the latest news on performance times at the three …
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Priyut Komedianta Theatre
This delightful theatre’s name means ‘the actor’s shelter’ and it does a pretty good job of fulfilling its role, providing refuge for some of the city’s best up-and-coming directors and producers. It was founded by actor Yury Tomashevsky in the late 1980s, when the city turned over a defunct cinema that the group still uses. Recent successes have included Peter Shereshevsky’s adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Eternal Husband and Georgy Vasiliev’s ambitious staging of Viktor Yerofeyev’s Moscow Stations, a sort of Russian Trainspotting.
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Hackney Empire
Theatre in the East End has undergone something of a renaissance with the top-to-tail renovation of this Edwardian music hall (1901). The programming is eclectic to say the least and defines ‘something for everyone’ – from hard-edged political theatre (The Hounding of David Oluwale) to opera (Aida) and comedy (Jo Brand). What’s more, the Empire has become Pantomime Central at Christmas. There’s comedy at the lively Marie Lloyd Bar below on Monday and live music on Thursday. Theatre as it was meant to be.
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Theatre Performances
Italianate arcades run around a central courtyard used for summer theatre performances. Highlights are its 3-D projections, and one not to be missed has been developed in cooperation with the Hohe Tauern National Park: you sit at a joystick and navigate a virtual flight through the park, doing hair-raising climbs and dives between altitudes of 100m and 10,000m while changing the angle of flight. Another 3-D cinema projection takes you on a journey through Carinthia. The museum has a small brochure with information in English.
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Arcola Theatre
The Arcola’s location in Dalston in the East End makes it a bit of a trek, but many still flock to this innovative theatre whose director Mehmet Ergen has been staging adventurous and eclectic programs since founding the theatre in 2000. The program focuses on cutting-edge, international productions (such as work by young Turkish, Swedish and Austrian playwrights) and a unique annual feature is Grimeborn, a music and opera festival in August/September diametrically opposed to the posh Glyndebourne opera festival near Lewes in Sussex.
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Agder Theater
One of the more unusual cultural experiences in Grimstad is run by Kristiansand-based Agder Theater, which performs in an old quarry up to six days a week in summer. After a hiatus in 2007 the troupe was due to return to performing in 2008; the tourist office has a programme of upcoming performances. The quarry, 4km north of town, became infamous during WWII when red granite blocks for Hitler’s ‘Victory Monument’ were taken from here; the monument was, of course, never built.
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Yusupov Palace Theatre
Housed inside the outrageously ornate Yusupov Palace, this elaborate yet intimate venue was the home entertainment centre for one of the city’s foremost aristocratic families. While you can visit the theatre when you tour the palace, seeing a performance here is a treat, as you can imagine yourself the personal guest of crazy Prince Felix himself. The shows are a mixed bag – usually a ‘Gala Evening’ that features fragments of various Russian classics.
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Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern
The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) is the grand dame of the Swedish stage, with productions ranging from Shakespeare to Strindberg in a lavish art nouveau setting. This is chez Bergman, where the famous director has been a driving force since the 1960s. Dramaten’s experimental stage, Elverket, pushes the boundaries with an edgier program performed in a converted power station. Ticket discounts include 10% for seniors, 35% for students and 50% for those under 25.
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Satirikon Theatre
Boasting one of Moscow’s most talented theatre producers, Konstantin Raikin, as well as a host of big-name directors, the Satirikon earned a reputation in the early 1990s with its outrageously expensive production of the Threepenny Opera. It has since broken its own record for expenditure with Chantecler, which featured ducks, cockerels and hens dancing on stage. From Rizhskaya metro take any trolleybus to the Kinoteatr Gavana stop and follow the crowds.
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King’s Head
This stalwart pub-theatre in the heart of the Islington party district has in the past staged some of the most memorable theatre in North London. Nowadays it’s a bit hit or miss, with tribute mini-musicals to the likes of Dorothy Fields (she wrote songs like ‘I’m In The Mood For Love’ and ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’) and Sophie Tucker and provocative cabaret like Naked Boys Singing! (yes, for real). It might not be fun for the whole family, but you might like it.
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Skuespilhuset (Royal Danish Playhouse)
Designed by Boje Lundegaard and Lene Tranberg, Copenhagen’s striking playhouse is home to the Royal Danish Theatre and a world-class repertoire of both homegrown and foreign plays (recent productions have included Ludvig Holberg’s classic Jeppe of the Hill and Sarah Kane’s ‘in-yer-face’ 4:48 Psychosis). Tickets often sell out well in advance but any unsold go for half-price at the box office from 6pm on the day of the performance.
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Mussorgsky-Mikhailovsky Theatre
While not quite as grand as the Mariinsky, this stage still delivers the Russian ballet or operatic experience, complete with multitiered theatre, frescoed ceiling and elaborate concerts. The inspiring pl Iskusstv (Arts Sq) is a lovely setting for this respected venue, which is home to the State Academic Opera & Ballet Company. It’s generally easier and cheaper to get tickets to the performances staged here than those at the Mariinsky.
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Old Vic
Kevin Spacey continues his run as artistic director (and occasional performer).
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Theater an der Wien
The Theater an der Wien has hosted some monumental premiere performances, such as Beethoven’s Fidelo, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Strauss Jnr’s Die Fledermaus. These days the theatre is more attuned to popular culture and features musicals such as Elisabeth and Mozart. Discounts include €10 to €15 tickets for students on sale 30 minutes before shows, and €7 standing tickets available one hour before performances.
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