Ratibortheater

The Ratibor Theater: More than a place, an institution

Anyone looking for improv theater in Berlin will sooner or later end up here. When the Ratibor Theater was founded, they were looking for a new theatrical form of expression, away from classical director’s theater. Inspired by avant-garde theater, the free theater collective Ratibor was founded in 1977. A lot has happened since then. The Ratibor Theater in Kreuzberg is the place for improv theater in Berlin, has fully specialized in the high art of improvisation, and works exclusively with the best in the industry. This is evident. Both on stage and in the audience. In addition to the regular program, the crème de la crème of national and international improv actors also make guest appearances, sometimes in joint shows, sometimes with their own projects and formats, sometimes mixed in various languages, but always improvised.

The Gorillas, the Festival, and the Impro Embassy

The heart of the house is undoubtedly the Gorillas. Since 1997, the group Die Gorillas has regularly performed their improvised shows at the Ratibor Theater. It is their home base. Their repertoire is extensive: the audience provides suggestions like »Most beautiful subway station« or »Berlin cliché,« whereupon the ensemble improvises a wild ride through 24 hours in Berlin, comical, absurd, touching, exciting, and always different. On Thursdays, the house also opens for the Impro Embassy, where international actors become ambassadors of improv theater and groups from all over the world perform improvisation theater in various constellations. And once a year, Kreuzberg becomes the improv theater capital of the world: The IMPRO Festival is one of the largest and most significant festivals of its kind in Europe and brings theater companies as well as individual artists to several Berlin stages for ten days. Tickets are available from around 17 Euros, so it’s worth spontaneously joining in.