15th Anniversary Edition
The ‘Theater der Dinge’ festival has been running for 15 years! Since 2000, this international festival has been showcasing new artistic developments and broadening our perspective on contemporary puppet and object theatre beyond the boundaries of the genre.
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Dreamland
SCHAUBUDE BERLIN
The ‘Theater der Dinge’ festival is one of the most important festivals for contemporary puppet and object theatre in Germany. Every autumn, it presents a diverse programme with changing thematic focuses, offering fascinating insights into current developments and artistic trends within the genre. In doing so, the festival deliberately transcends the boundaries of classical puppet theatre, combining it with disciplines such as performance, visual arts, dance, digital art and music.
On display are extraordinary productions, installations and exhibitions which, through their innovative aesthetics, creative expressiveness and social relevance, open up new perspectives on contemporary theatre.
The festival’s name is derived from the director, set designer and puppetry professor Konstanza Kavrakova-Lorenz and refers to the independent nature of objects, to their ability to act, to tell stories and to engage with us. Since its earliest editions under the direction of Silvia Brendenal, the festival has focused on works that give objects a stage and place their stories at the centre.
The 2026 anniversary edition continues in this vein: it brings together productions that use puppets and objects, tableaux, miniatures, simulations and theatrical arrangements to explore our present.
In ‘Dreamland / Territory of Dreams’, Théâtre Rude Ingénierie from Québec brings Coney Island amusement park to life at the Theater Strahl as a large-scale kinetic and musical object installation.
At the Podewil, the ‘Transport’ theatre series – acclaimed across Europe – takes audiences into the realms of logistics, migration and transit through concentrated miniature worlds.
Furthermore, productions from Belgium, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany will be staged over seven days at the Schaubude Berlin and the TATWERK, showcasing the concentrated vitality of this unique theatrical form.
Spielstätten
Schaubude Berlin
Greifswalder Straße 81-84, 10405 Berlin
Podewil
Klosterstraße 68, 10179 Berlin
TATWERK
Hasenheide 9, 2. Hinterhof, Aufgang 1, 3. OG, 10967 Berlin
Theater Strahl
Marktstraße 11, 10317 Berlin
