Opernfactory

The Opernfactory is a private music theatre in Hamburg’s Tonndorf district. It opened in November 2012 under the direction of Barbara Kaliner and relies entirely on its own funding. No public subsidies support its work, making it the only music theatre in eastern Hamburg. Its productions range from opera and operetta to musicals, chansons and Low German readings. Professional singers perform at the piano in a small auditorium that seats 130 people. A resident opera chorus and occasional gala programmes add to the variety. Since 2014 the theatre has staged ‘Oper dreidimensional’, a concept that turns the audience space into part of the stage, most famously in a three-dimensional Carmen in 2015. Visitors enter through a modest foyer where drinks are served before the show. The stage sits inside a former spice mill on Ahrensburger Straße, its productions costumed and lit to match the period portrayed. The intimate setting brings performers and spectators close together, creating an immediate experience of the music and drama.