XOX-Theater Kleve

The XOX-Theater stands in a former biscuit factory in Kleve-Kellen, a district of Kleve in the Rhineland. The red-brick building, protected as a monument, once housed the XOX-Biskuit-Fabrik until it closed in 1977. Eleven local theatre lovers converted part of the 600 m² space into a theatre with about a hundred seats and a foyer in 1997. It remains the only professional ensemble theatre in the region.

The programme mixes original productions with touring shows, readings, workshops and concerts. A non-profit support association handles finance and organisation behind the scenes. Each summer since 2002 the theatre has run the Klever XOX-Sommertheater festival across city locations such as the courtyard of Schwanenburg castle and the square by the Unterstadtkirche. Prominent theatre-makers from outside the area are invited every year.

Inside, the auditorium seats roughly a hundred spectators close to the stage. The foyer serves as a meeting place before performances and during intervals. The annual festival turns public squares into open-air stages for weeks. In 2003 the theatre received the Johann-Moritz-Kulturpreis for its contribution to regional culture.