Commedia Futura

Commedia Futura is a free theatre based in the Eisfabrik arts centre in Hanover’s Südstadt district. The building once housed a clear-ice factory, and the company moved there in 1987. Since its start in 1982 the group has created more than fifty multimedia productions that mix spoken theatre with dance, music and video. Wolfgang A. Piontek founded the project while still a student and remains its artistic director. His brother Peter Piontek works as dramaturg, and since 2006 the company has collaborated regularly with choreographer Felix Landerer. The theatre’s programme includes large-scale shows such as Andy Warhol: The Spirit of the 20th Century and Ali – The Greatest. Other highlights are Lost in Twin Peaks, Himmel und Hölle and Traumatorium. Commedia Futura also curates festivals and hosts guest performances by other independent groups. The ensemble draws on an international network of actors, dancers, video artists and designers who join for each project. In the Eisfabrik the company converted two former industrial halls into theatres, each seating ninety-nine spectators. Visitors enter through the old factory gates into a space that still shows its industrial past. Inside, the Schwarzer Saal and the Zentralhalle provide intimate settings for experimental performances. The programme changes frequently, offering evenings of theatre, dance and live music. The surrounding Südstadt district offers cafés and small galleries, adding to the lively cultural atmosphere.