Thalia Theater Emphasizes Collaboration and Takes a Stand Against Hate

In its second season, Thalia’s artistic director Sonja Anders aims to take a stand. “In times marked by insecurity, we ask ourselves: What power do we have as individuals, and what can we accomplish together? How can we show resolve? What chance do love and beauty have against hatred and populism?” Anders said in a press release announcing the 2026/27 season. These questions underpin the forthcoming program.

Twenty premieres are planned, staged by fourteen directors. The new season opens on September 11 with the world premiere of Annette Hess’s “Deutsches Haus.” It is one of several productions that examine the dangers of the rising right-wing. The lineup also includes Wolfgang Borchert’s “Draußen vor der Tür” (Outside the Door), Ödön von Horváth’s “Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald” (Tales from the Vienna Woods), Christian Lollike’s “Der fremde Blick” (The Foreign Look), and Eugene Ionesco’s “Die Nashörner” (Rhinoceros), which are on the program.

The upcoming season at the Thalia Theater is also shaped by feminist and queer themes. For example, the acclaimed stagings “Die kleine Meerjungfrau” (The Little Mermaid) and “Die Wut, die bleibt” (The Anger That Remains) return to the stage. Planned works include “Marschlande” (Marshlands), “Frommer Tanz” (Pious Dance), “Porneia,” or “Sankt Falstaff” (Saint Falstaff).

A further thematic focus in the 2026/27 program lies in the Common, in cooperation, solidarity, and community in the face of polarization and hatred. “Networks have political power; they strengthen democracy and the ability to engage in dialogue,” Anders added.

Thus the Thalia Theater will collaborate with various houses in Salzburg, Berlin, and Hamburg. In this context, actress Maren Eggert (“Tatort,” “Ich bin dein Mensch”) returns to the Thalia Theater with the production “Kabale und Liebe” (Intrigue and Love). The play will be staged alternately at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and in Hamburg.