Saxon Summer Theatres Unveil Open-Air Season with Shakespeare, Rock Opera, and New Stages

Theatres across Saxony are preparing for a vibrant summer season, presenting a wide range of productions in both established and entirely new open-air venues. A survey by the German Press Agency revealed a programme packed with Shakespeare classics, rock operas, musicals, and family-friendly adventure pieces.

New Stages for Classic Tales

Several premieres will take place in locations never before used as stages. The Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater is transforming the market square in Zittau into an open-air venue for the first time for Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet". The production, described as "opulent" and set against a "grandiose historical backdrop", premieres on 13 June. A key feature will be the use of the town hall balcony for the play's most famous scene.

Nobody who has seen the play will be able to go to the office in the future without thinking of Romeo and Juliet.

The theatre is also opening a new outdoor venue at the Old Slaughterhouse in Görlitz on 30 May, where Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" will be staged. In previous years, the theatre has used a former freight station and an old machine-building factory as summer backdrops.

Returning Favourites and Family Shows

Established summer traditions continue across the region. The Krabat Mill site in Schwarzkollm near Hoyerswerda, a summer venue since 2012, will host the third part of the Krabat saga, titled "Im Nebel der Einsamkeit" (In the Fog of Loneliness), from 27 June to 19 July. Demand remains high for the approximately 18,000 available seats, according to the cultural centre's managing director, Anton Fuchs.

The Deutsch-Sorbisches Volkstheater in Bautzen is continuing its long-standing tradition of staging performances in the courtyard of Ortenburg Castle. The premiere of "Spuk von draußen oder Karaseks Schatz" (Spook from Outside or Karasek's Treasure) is set for 18 June. Author and director Lutz Hillmann was inspired by the 1987 television series of the same name, relocating the plot for his free stage adaptation to Upper Lusatia and the present day. The theatre reports that around 24,000 tickets have already been sold, representing an occupancy rate of almost 70 percent.

Diverse Offerings Across the Region

The Theatre Plauen-Zwickau is utilising multiple open-air venues. The family-friendly production "Alice in Wonderland" begins on 11 June in the Zwickau theatre courtyard. A modern adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice* (*or something like that)" will also premiere on 12 June, adding a contemporary twist to the classic novel.