GRIPS Theater

GRIPS Theater at Hansaplatz: Children’s Theater in an Interbau Building from 1957

The GRIPS Theater is located on Altonaer Straße in Hansaviertel, the district that was completely rebuilt in 1957 for the International Building Exhibition. The theater building also dates from this period, with the ensemble moving in in 1974. The U9 Hansaplatz subway station is directly in front of it and has an elevator, while Bellevue S-Bahn station and bus line 106 are also within walking distance. The Großer Tiergarten begins right behind the building and is suitable for time spent before or after a performance. There is also a parking lot with access via Altonaer Straße.

The hall at Hansaplatz seats 367 people. The main entrance and theater hall are accessible at ground level, two spaces are available for wheelchair users, and a low-barrier toilet is directly accessible from the foyer. The theater also operates a second, smaller venue with 136 seats in Podewil at Alexanderplatz. This is primarily where productions for the very youngest, some starting from two years old, are staged.

Linie 1 and Political Children’s Theater at GRIPS Theater

The GRIPS Theater sees itself as a child of the student movement and cabaret. A children’s theater group was founded at the Berliner Reichskabarett in 1966, and the venue has borne its current name since 1972. Volker Ludwig, co-founder and author of the Berlin revue „Linie 1″, which premiered in 1986 and was subsequently performed on over a hundred German-speaking stages, was influential for almost four decades. The play remains on the program to this day.

The program ranges from plays for two-year-olds to youth plays for ages 16 and up, with themes consistently contemporary rather than fairy-tale-like. For most children’s plays, a regular ticket costs 15 Euros, reduced 10 Euros. Berlin school classes and daycare groups receive significantly cheaper tickets with the Youth Culture Service discount voucher; accompanying persons are free from a certain group size. In addition, there is a large theater education department with theater clubs, offers for teachers, and the program „Families of all kinds”. For its fiftieth anniversary, the theater also founded its own foundation to permanently secure its work.