German theatre
Ohnsorg-Theater on its former site at the
Große Bleichen
in Hamburg
The
Ohnsorg-Theater
in
Hamburg
, Germany, is a stage for plays run after the
British system of repertory theatre
with up to six produced plays per season. Plays are exclusively performed in
low German
(
Platt
). They play a major role in spreading the knowledge and, in recent times, renewed appreciation of this
minority language
. Exceptions played in
standard German
(
Hochdeutsch
) are only made for television broadcasts. These broadcasts, by the regional
Norddeutscher Rundfunk
(NDR) and the nationwide
ARD
have made the theatre and its former main star
Heidi Kabel
popular across Germany and beyond.
The theatre is known for comedies, the majority of them set in the typical environment of Northern German farmers, fishermen and merchants. The theatre also performs serious works of traditional literature and musical theatre as well as adaptations in
Platt
of international material, such as the stage version of Stephen King's
Misery
and original plays such as Tennessee Williams's
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
, Robert Thomas's
8 Women
, Willy Russell's
Shirley Valentine
, Lawrence Roman's
Alone Together
and Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream
.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
The theatre was founded by
Richard Ohnsorg
(1876?1947) in 1902 as
Dramatische Gesellschaft Hamburg
, with the stated purpose of providing a stage on which plays in
Platt
could be performed. This was often not possible in other theatres, since
Platt
was generally considered to be a sign of low social rank and rather boorish, despite the fact that
Platt
was also spoken in the wealthy and educated circles of Hamburg's merchants and shipowners.
[2]
[3]
Plays, some originally written in
Platt
, others translated from High German and other languages, were performed in cramped circumstances and various locations. In 1920, the theatre was renamed to
Niederdeutsche Buhne Hamburg
.
[1]
In 1936, the company moved into the former
Kleine Lustspielhaus
on the
Große Bleichen
. The
Nazi regime
was sympathetic to the company's aim to stimulate local culture; the brand comedy delivered by Ohnsorg and his company was popular. After the war, the theatre was renamed
Richard Ohnsorg-Theater
in 1946. Since 1954, its productions have been aired by NDR. Especially during the 1960s and 1970s, the theatre was popular due to its star
Heidi Kabel
who played until her retirement in 1997.
[1]
The actor
Folker Bohnet
directed 17 productions, including some plays he had co-authored.
The theatre moved into a new larger playhouse in 2011, which was built in the listed
Bieberhaus
close to
Deutsches Schauspielhaus
and
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof
. Part of the square in front of the theatre was named after Kabel right before the theatre moved, and a monument in her honour was erected next to the theatre's entrance.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Gerd Spiekermann:
100 Jahre Ohnsorg Theater
, Die Hanse ? Sabine Groenewold Verlage, Hamburg 2002,
ISBN
3-434-52600-5
- ^
Peter Schmachthagen:
Sprechen Sie Hamburgisch
- Vol. I, Axel Springer Verlag/Hamburger Abendblatt, Hamburg 2009,
ISBN
978-3-939716-26-6
- ^
Peter Schmachthagen:
Sprechen Sie Hamburgisch
- Vol. II, Axel Springer Verlag/Hamburger Abendblatt, Hamburg 2010,
ISBN
978-3-939-716-31-0
External links
[
edit
]
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International
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Geographic
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53°33′09″N
9°59′21″E
/
53.55250°N 9.98917°E
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53.55250; 9.98917