GRIPS Theater

The GRIPS Theater: Berlin’s Emancipatory Stage for All Generations

The GRIPS Theater is considered one of the most famous children’s and youth theaters worldwide. What began in 1969 as a small independent theater group is now a permanent institution supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture, featuring two stages. It is located on Altonaer Straße at Hansaplatz in Hansaviertel. Where a program cinema once stood, one of Berlin’s liveliest theater stages can now be found. The stage is surrounded by benches, allowing the actors to perform amidst the audience. The audience can sit on all four sides, and since the stage is not raised, visitors in the first row are at eye level with the performers.

GRIPS is often called a “courage-giving theater” because it shows that the world is changeable. 13 professional actors perform up to 400 shows a year with a repertoire of up to 18 plays. On average, up to 85,000 spectators visit the GRIPS Theater annually. In short: the house is thriving. And rightly so.

Linie 1, New Season, and Political Stance

In addition to children’s and youth plays, there is also a repertoire for adults, most notably the legendary Linie 1, which originated here. The plays of the GRIPS Theater have been re-staged over 1,500 times in around 40 languages worldwide. For the 2025/26 season, a fresh wind is blowing through the house: The GRIPS Theater will be led by a four-person team starting from the 2025/26 season. Additionally, with “Kuckucksnest” by Nina van Tongeren, there will be a German-language premiere: a gripping chamber play about mental health. GRIPS also has four youth plays in its repertoire that clearly position themselves against right-wing extremism and fascism. This makes the theater not just a stage, but a stance.