Das Schiff

The Theaterschiff Hamburg is a working inland vessel turned theatre. It has served as a 120-seat playhouse since 1975, moored on the Nikolaifleet beside the Holzbrücke in the city’s Mitte district. The programme features satire, cabaret, comedy and variety shows, performed on a stage surrounded by seating on three sides. The theatre belongs to the Schlesselmann family, with Heiko Schlesselmann as managing director since 2012 and Michael Frowin as artistic director since 2007. The company also runs two support vessels for wardrobe and storage. Its repertoire includes original productions such as Generation XY ungelöst and Das Ziel ist im Weg, alongside guest appearances by artists like Mathias Tretter, Bodo Wartke and Patrizia Moresco. In 2023 it received the Sonderpreis at the Hamburg theatre awards. Visitors step aboard a historic ship built in 1912 as the Seemöve, a 20-metre sailing vessel later converted to a motor coaster. The interior is arranged as an intimate theatre with tiered seating facing the central stage. Performances range from literary readings to full-scale comedy shows, and the company tours regional ports including Kiel, Bremerhaven and Helgoland.