Galli Theater Berlin
Fairy tales in an enchanted courtyard
The Galli Theater in the Heckmannhöfe offers a twist on the classic fairy tale hour: with stories by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Astrid Lindgren staged interactively with the audience asked to join in.
Next door to synagogue on Oranienburger Straße, a small path takes you away from the street to one of Berlin's typical inner courtyards. Between the ivy-covered houses and the green of the trees, you'll find the Galli Theater, tucked way in the picturesque Heckmannhöfe. The theatre has been turning theatre into an event for audiences of all ages here since 2001.
The children's performances focus on interactive stagings of the tales of the Brothers Grimm where the kids are invited to join in. At night, the fairy tales and myths become a bit more grown up, with a focus on relationships. The pieces were written by the theatre's founder Johannes Galli.
The theatre also offers workshops and public-service performances for nurseries and schools, addressing such issues as bullying, drugs, abuse, and environmental protection. The kids get the chance to role play conflicts under the guidance of experienced educators and thus develop their own strategies for conflict resolution.
Workshops and improvisation seminars are also regularly offered for both children and adolescents as well as adults.
The Galli Theater offers companies coaching and presentation training courses as well as courses on intercultural body language and communication.
The Philosopher Clown
The small theatre in the Heckmannhöfe is named after Johannes Galli, the "philosopher clown", writer, and director. His focus is on using theatre to teach and to create room for creativity, to help people learn how to resolve conflicts and grow personally.
Snow White in China
Galli Theater has become so popular that it is now no longer just in Berlin, but in eleven other cities in Germany. It has even made the leap across the giant pond to New York, where it also performs interactive plays for children. Its "Snow White", however, has travelled much further. All the way to China, where "Baixue gōngzhǔ" was enthusiastically received by audiences young and old in Beijing.
