Berliner KinderTheater

The Berlin Children's Theatre is an ensemble theatre without a fixed venue, performing its winter series in the large hall of the Fontane-Haus in the Märkisches Viertel. Founded in 1986, the non-profit association coined the term "family theatre" in 2004. It stages works from world children's literature, currently "Pippi Longstocking Celebrates Christmas" for ages four and up.

Berlin Children’s Theatre in Fontane-Haus: Family Theatre in Märkisches Viertel

The Fontane-Haus is located on the market square of the Märkisches Zentrum in Reinickendorf and has been the district’s cultural center since its opening in 1976. Under one roof are the citizens’ office, district library, music school, and adult education center, and the Berlin Children’s Theatre’s winter series runs in the large hall. Public transport options include the U8 or S1 to Wittenau, then bus lines M21, X21, or X33 to Märkisches Zentrum. For those arriving by car, it’s best to enter Königshorster Straße into the navigation system, as parking is located directly behind the building.

The hall seats up to 800 people, making it one of the largest stages in Berlin where children’s theatre is performed. For the summer series, the ensemble moves to the open-air stage of Spandau Citadel with around 500 seats, 180 of which are covered. The Swedish Embassy sponsors this series. Both venues belong to their respective district offices, and the ensemble rents them for its performances.

World Children’s Literature and En-suite Performances at Berlin Children’s Theatre

Behind the Berlin Children’s Theatre is the non-profit association “Theatre by Grown-ups for Little People”, founded by Andreas Schmidt and Brigitte Faber-Schmidt in November 1986. Andreas Schmidt has continuously managed the theatre since then. The association is privately funded, meaning without institutional support, and coined the term “family theatre” in 2004. Performances are run en suite, meaning a production runs in a continuous block of shows and not spread out over an entire season.

The ensemble addresses major conflicts faced by children from world children’s literature, deliberately avoiding strict good-versus-evil schemata. Instead of moralizing, the theatre focuses on comedy. Its history includes productions such as “Rapunzel”, “Karlsson on the Roof”, “Emil in Lönneberga” and “The Robber Hotzenplotz”. Currently, “Pippi Longstocking Celebrates Christmas” by Astrid Lindgren is on the program, a play for children aged approximately four to eight, lasting about 70 minutes without an intermission. For groups, two accompanying adults are free for up to 29 paying children. For larger groups, this number increases accordingly.