Stockholm/Ekerö

enlarge Drottningholm Court Theatre
Drottningholm Court Theatre, located just outside Stockholm, was built at the request of Queen Lovisa Ulrika by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. It was completed in 1766 and has been preserved in its entirety until today. Thus even today, the original stage machinery allows for quick changes of scenery, and in addition there are moving waves, trapdoors, cloud carriages and wind and thunder machines. A unique collection of original 18th century scenery is also being preserved. The heyday of the theatre began in 1777 with Gustaf III who initiated drama and opera in the Swedish language. Following his death in 1792 the theatre was closed. And it stayed closed for 130 years, until it was rediscovered in the 1920’s. Every summer the theatre presents a festival of 18th century opera (May to August). This festival started already in 1946, making it one of the longest running festivals in Europe. In 1991 Drottningholm Court Theatre was proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage.
Drottningholms Slottsteater · Drottningholm · Stockholm · Sweden
Tel.: +46 8 759 04 06 ⋅ Tickets for performances: +46 8 660 82 25 · E-mail: dst@dtm.se · www.dtm.se ·
Visits: guided tours daily in May 12:00 to 16:30, June – August 11:00 to 16:30, September 13:00 to 15:30

Solna

enlarge Confidencen
The Court Theatre at Ulriksdal Palace features the oldest original theatre interior in Sweden, designed 1753 by the theatre architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. The building itself had originally been constructed as riding stables in the 1670’s. On Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s initiative it was converted into a theatre. Next to the auditorium, elegant salons were furnished for the royal family and their guests. The grand central salon is equipped with a table à confidence, i.e. a dinner table that can descend, through a trapdoor, to a kitchen in the basement where it can be laid and then hoisted upwards again. In this way the royal family could dine without any eavesdropping servants. The theatre is named after this salon. The rococo-style auditorium holds more than 200 seats. In 2003 a reconstruction of the old stage machinery was realized and a new set of scenery in the style of the 1700’s was made especially for Confidencen. Managed by opera singer Kjerstin Dellert, Confidencen offers an extensive summer season of drama, opera, concerts and ballets.
Confidencen - Ulriksdals Slottsteater ⋅ 170 79 Solna 18–22 ⋅ Sweden ⋅ Tel.: +46 8 85 70 16 ⋅ Tickets for performances: + 46 8 85 60 10 ⋅ E-mail: info@confidencen.se ⋅ www.confidencen.se ⋅ Visits: guided tours on appointment from May to September

Hedemora

enlarge Hedemora Old Theatre
Hedemora Old Theatre is also known as the Hedemora Theatre Barn. A theatre barn was a typical feature of Swedish theatre life: local amateur groups or the owners themselves converted barns partly or completely into theatres for the community. Hedemora Old Theatre is the oldest building of this kind in Sweden. It was constructed in the 1820´s by a wholesale dealer who needed a warehouse. He decided to add a theatre hall in the attic of the barn. The need for a theatre in Hedemora originated from the annual market – one of the largest in central Sweden throughout the 19th century. The theatre operated between 1829 and 1888. Between 1888 and 1910 the hall was taken over by the Salvation Army that changed the appearance of the hall considerably. After 1910 the space was used for storing goods until it was reinaugurated as a theatre in 1946. The restored auditorium has maintained the charm and culture of the 19th century. The building serves mainly as a museum run by the Society of Hedemora Old Theatre. Since 1991 theatre performances have been staged by local amateur groups.
Schlosstheater im Neuen Palais ⋅ 14469 Potsdam ⋅
Tel.: +49 (0)331 9694 253 ⋅ E-mail: j.strassburger@spsg.de ⋅ www.spsg.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment, depending on the performance schedule

Vadstena

enlarge Vadstena Old Theatre
Vadstena Old Theatre from 1825 is Sweden’s oldest privately built provincial theatre that still functions as a theatre. It was renovated in 1847 and since then this gem of a theatre has remained unchanged, including the original stage (“English system”). The theatre is situated in a barn inside the walls of the Abbey, neighbour to the Vadstena Abbey Church. Two galleries, decorated on one side with gods and heroes from classical mythology and on the other with the protectors of the liberal arts and the sciences guide your gaze down the aisle to the small stage on which Vadstena Academy has been performing opera since the mid 1960’s. Thanks to a donation by the Barber Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, in 2001 the Academy was able to install fiberoptic lighting equipment, copy the original curtain and equip the stage with a basic set of stage scenery in the style of the 1800’s. The Academy presents productions from this era in the original style almost every year during the Summer Opera Festival (June to August).
Goethe-Theater ⋅ Parkstrasse 18 ⋅ 06246 Bad Lauchstaedt ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)34635 7820 ⋅ E-mail: info@goethe-theater.com ⋅ www.goethe-theater.com ⋅ Visits: Tues–Sun 10:30, 14:00, 16:00 (April–Oct); Mon–Fri 10:30 + 14:00 (Nov–March), weekends on appointment. Groups on appointment only! Limited visits on rehearsal or performance days

Halden

enlarge Fredrikshald Theatre
The theatre was built in 1838 based on drawings by engineering officer Balthazar Nicolai Garben. The building is elongated and consists of one high and one low wing. The architecture of the building is pure Empire style, with a strict composition, where entrances and a risalit on the short side have been given weight by employing pilasters and cornices. The theatre as well as the assembly rooms are used for performances, concerts and meetings. Fredrikshald’s Theatre was restored in 1982. It houses Norway’s best preserved historic stage, where the scenery can be changed by sliding the wings along the stage floor (“English system”). This original stage is complemented by an extraordinary collection of pieces of stage sets from the 19th century and a valuable collection of historic stage props. A permanent exhibition that opens in 2009 will display these unique materials to the visitors.
Liebhabertheater Schloss Kochberg ⋅
07407 Grosskochberg ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)36743 225 32 ⋅
E-mail: vorstand@liebhabertheater.com ⋅ www.liebhabertheater.com
Klassik Stiftung Weimar ⋅ E-mail: info@klassik-stiftung.de ⋅ www.klassik-stiftung.de
Visits: access during the opening times of the palace, Tue–Sun 10:00 to 18:00 (April–Oct) ⋅ Guided tours on appointment

Aarhus

enlarge Elsinore Theatre
Elsinore Theatre is an impressive building erected in 1817. The theatre was initially run by the local dramatic society in Elsinore, north of Copenhagen, and functioned both as a theatre and as a banqueting hall. The theatre was unique in that it was financed by the citizens of the town as opposed to the royal and aristocratic theatres of the 18th century. It was a symbol of the increasing power of the public where the wealthy bourgeoisie became the patrons of the arts. In its final years, Elsinore Theatre also functioned as a cinema, but as time required more modern spaces for film screenings, the theatre was condemned to be demolished. However, the building was saved and in 1961 it was moved to The Old Town in Aarhus, a museum portraying life in the old Danish market towns. Today, it is the oldest theatre in Denmark to be preserved in its original form, and opera, theatre and classical concerts are performed here during the year.
Ekhof-Theater ⋅ Schloss Friedenstein ⋅ 99867 Gotha ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)3621 823 451 ⋅ E-mail: service@stiftungfriedenstein.de ⋅ www.ekhof-festival.de ⋅ Visits Ekhof-Theater & Gotha theatre history exhibition: 10:00 to 17:00 (May–Oct); 10:00 to 16:00 (Nov–April)

Rønne

enlarge Rønne Theatre
Rønne Theatre is one of the oldest functioning theatre building in Denmark. It is part of a protected group of buildings in Rønne’s Old Town. The entrance hall of the theatre dates from 1789. The theatre behind it was constructed in 1823, and has been restored extensively since 1999. Its 302 seats as well as 2 small boxes are taken by approximately 25000 people each year who enjoy more than 100 public performances here. Rønne Theatre has for more than 180 years been the people’s theatre of Bornholm, and today it is an active cultural centre that presents many different kinds of performances. It offers local productions, guest performances, amateur and school productions, children’s theatre, opera and dance as well as very popular summer revues. It also houses many pieces of original scenery that will soon go on display in a new storage building.
Meininger Museen ⋅ Schlossplatz 1 ⋅ 98617 Meiningen ⋅ www.meiningermuseen.de ⋅
Tel. palace: +49 (0)3603 50 36 41 &sdot
Tel. theatre museum: + 49 (0)3603 47 12 90 &sdot
Visits Elisabethenburg palace: Tue–Sun 10:00 to 18:00
Presentation in the Theatre Museum in the riding hall: Tue–Sun 10, 12, 14, 16 hrs ⋅ Closed mid-January to mid-February
Meininger Theater ⋅ Bernhardstrasse 5 ⋅ www.das-meininger-theater.de ⋅ Guided tours: 8:45 to 10:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 ⋅ Tel. appointments: +49 (0)3603 45 11 36

Copenhagen

enlarge The Court Theatre
Christiansborg Castle in the centre of Copenhagen was built by Häusser between 1733 and 1745. The royal family lived here, and in 1766 the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin was assigned to create a theatre above the royal stables. King Christian VII and his queen opened the theatre in 1767. It was remodeled in the 1840’s and 1850’s and even got a ceiling above the stage, so it could be used as a ballroom. It is in this version that it has been preserved until today. From 1881 onward the Court Theatre no longer served as a theatre, due to a tragic fire in a Vienna theatre that had made clear the risks involved in using such an old theatre. In 1885 all furniture and equipment were sold by auction. Parliament wanted to use the building for offices, but fortunately this idea was abandoned. Instead, in 1922, the Society of Danish Theatre History took over the empty theatre. Since then the Court Theatre has been home to the Danish Theatre Museum that presents not only the theatre all year round but also temporary exhibitions on all aspects of theatre history as well as occasional concerts and theatre performances.
Markgräfliches Opernhaus ⋅ Opernstrasse 14 ⋅ 95444 Bayreuth ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)921 7 59 69 22 ⋅ E-mail: sgvbayreuth@bsv.bayern.de ⋅ www.schloesser.bayern.de ⋅ Visits: 9:00 to 18:00 (April–Sep); 10:00 to 16:00 (Oct–March)

Ystad

enlarge Ystad Theatre
The theatre in Ystad enjoyed an extensive restoration campaign from 1989 to 1993 that brought back the old splendour to this 1894 theatre. One of the most splendid parts is the collection of original stage sets from the workshop of Sweden’s then most prominent theatre painter, Carl Ludvig Grabow. On the technical side, the stage features an ingenious combination of old and new. When the theatre opened in 1894, its new machinery for movable scenery was already considered out of date. The era of Baroque, when this technology had been invented, was definitely over. So it remained unused and its wooden drums and shafts, chariots and wheels disappeared bit by bit over the years. When Per Simon Edström came looking for it in 1992, he found parts of it all over the theatre. So he started to reassemble the machinery. Today, the theatre combines the old, reconstructed machinery in the understage with modern machinery above the stage – thereby allowing for contemporary performances as well as for performances in the old style. Ystad’s theatre presents over 200 performances every year and is probably best known for the summer opera that celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2008.
Theater der Stadt Koblenz ⋅ Clemensstrasse 1 ⋅ 56068 Koblenz ⋅ Tel.: +49 (0)261 129 2840 & 2841 ⋅ E-mail: theaterkasse@stadt.koblenz.de ⋅ www.theater-koblenz.de ⋅ Visits: on appointment