"Hamburg's Chamber Playhouse stages a drama centered on the Bornplatz Synagogue"
Immer open, always on: Getting a peek into the residential apartment across Bieberstraße 7 in Hamburg used to mean listening to Maxim Biller playing the piano, but those days are long gone. Today, the once-open window is bricked up in the Kammerspiele, yet Biller's presence still fills the theater through his upcoming 2026 novel, "Mama Odessa."
Maxim's mix: Just like many of his stories, Biller's family history entwines with that of the fictional Russian-Jewish family that ends up in the Hamburg Grindelviertel, right at Bieberstraße 7 after the Nazi massacre in Odessa in 1941.
Season of intimacy: With the upcoming 2025/26 season, the Kammerspiele plans to explore themes of humanity, inspired by the originator of the theater, Ida Ehre. This season will be a special one, with the intendant Axel Schneider's play, "Next Year Bornplatz Synagogue," and numerous other thought-provoking performances.
Tread lightly: As the world faces a series of moral challenges, questions about duty, conscience, and the place of Jews in society are becoming increasingly important. This is highlighted in Ferdinand von Schirach's "She Says. He Says," a courtroom drama where both perspectives are voiced.
Courage and catharsis: Despite the heavy topics, laughter is still essential. In the spirit of humanity, productions like "The Crime Scene Cleaner" and "Last Call" bring humor, offering viewers moments of escape and camaraderie.
Beyond the Kammerspiele: Hamburg's theater scene is buzzing with the International Summer Festival's exciting plans, Hape Kerkeling's film hit turned musical, and even a live adaptation of the popular Tatort series.
Long shadows: As we navigate the world's complexities, we find ourselves contemplating the past, present, and future, encapsulated in productions such as "The Traitor" by Siegfried Lenz.
Wide open windows to the world await at Hartungstraße, inviting us to explore, laugh, and ponder, all in the name of humanity.
Entertainment intertwines with history in the upcoming season at the Kammerspiele, as Maxim Biller's family history entwines with that of the fictional Russian-Jewish family in his upcoming 2026 novel, "Mama Odessa." The theater's 2025/26 season, inspired by Ida Ehre, plans to explore themes of humanity, offering a mix of thought-provoking performances and moments of escape through productions like "The Crime Scene Cleaner" and "Last Call."
