Culture and relaxation right on the banks of the Spree: the BE-Quartier on Schiffbauerdamm offers a unique cultural experience right in the heart of the city and, in addition to the Berliner Ensemble's three venues, the Einblicke Gartenhaus, two rehearsal stages and various workshops, a theatre canteen open to the public, a theatre shop and the newly designed Helene Weigel Hof – complete with a sculpture in her honour – which is also open to the public during the day and offers a space for relaxation right in the heart of the city.
The BE-Quartier brings theatre to life in many ways, including through our Einblicke events, and also provides a space for social discourse and the open exchange of ideas.
The main auditorium of the magnificent neo-Baroque Großes Haus in the historic theatre building on Schiffbauerdamm, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2017, normally seats around 700 people. Since September 2019, the Berliner Ensemble has also had two new venues that complete the BE-Quartier: the Neues Haus (170 seats) and the Werkraum (60 seats), which is home to the WORX programme for emerging directors. Since the 2023/24 season, the Einblicke department has been staging performances in the Gartenhaus in the inner courtyard.
In the summer of 2024, the renowned illustrator and artist Christoph Niemann redesigned the canteen: under the title "Berliner Assemblage", he created five large-scale murals exclusively for the Berliner Ensemble from the stage floor, which had been damaged by water, and these are on permanent display in the canteen.
Every Sunday, we take you behind the scenes at the theatre
Join our weekly backstage tours to get to know the BE-Quartier from a whole new perspective and discover the theatre’s eventful history!
The Berliner Ensemble
The Berliner Ensemble is one of Germany's most renowned and time-honoured theatres. The Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, named since 1954 after Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel's world-famous company, has made theatre history as the Berliner Ensemble and has been one of the world's best-known theatres ever since. Among other productions, "The Threepenny Opera" premiered here in 1928.
From Bertolt Brecht to Sibylle Berg: Theatre about the present
Throughout its history spanning more than 130 years, the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm has repeatedly engaged with current issues of social relevance and, since Oliver Reese took over as artistic director, has once again placed a stronger focus on contemporary texts and topical themes.
In the tradition of its former artistic directors Bertolt Brecht and Heiner Müller, the Berliner Ensemble has, since 2017, concentrated on theatre about our present day. Alongside the works of Bertolt Brecht, the programme features, above all, topical material and contemporary plays by living authors such as Sibylle Berg, George Orwell and Charlotte Gneuß, who address the pressing issues of our time on stage.
Get closer: As a member of our Friends' Association
By becoming a member, you'll be supporting our theatre and enjoying a host of exclusive benefits, such as attending rehearsals, taking part in discussions and having priority booking rights!
At the heart of it all: the ensemble and pioneering artistic figures
The ensemble is at the heart of the theatre – and not just in name. The Berliner Ensemble currently comprises more than 20 actors and actresses, including Constanze Becker, Jens Harzer, Bettina Hoppe, Pauline Knof, Sina Martens, Kathleen Morgeneyer, Tilo Nest, Marc Oliver Schulze and Kathrin Wehlisch.
Alongside the ensemble, the theatre's profile is significantly shaped by its ongoing collaboration with pioneering directors such as Frank Castorf, Mateja Koležnik, Barrie Kosky, Ersan Mondtag, Luk Perceval and Kay Voges. Contemporary productions are staged here, as are innovative theatre formats. Musical entertainment is not a bad word here, but rather part of the tradition at Schiffbauerdamm.
The Berliner Ensemble is invited to international festivals and guest performances worldwide with its productions, including to Australia, China, Cuba, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Georgia, Italy, the Czech Republic and Turkey, as well as to Radikal jung, and is also a regular guest at the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen and the Hamburg Theatre Festival.
Since 2022, the Berliner Ensemble has been running a programme to support emerging talent at the Werkraum under the title WORX, which offers young international directors a permanent position for one year and the opportunity to use their own space to stage two productions and other formats.
