Fleetstreet

The Fleetstreet Theatre stands in Hamburg’s Neustadt on Admiralitätstraße. It occupies a modest 120 square metres yet houses a compact six-by-six-metre stage with 100 seats. The space was donated in 2006 by patron Jochen Waitz to director Alex Krebs, a graduate of Hamburg’s Institute for Theatre, Music Theatre and Film. Since then it has served as a laboratory for emerging artists rather than a conventional playhouse. Alongside new plays it programmes film screenings and public discussions, blending live performance with cinematic and discursive formats. What makes the journey worthwhile is its commitment to risk-taking work by young creators. Each year the theatre invites collectives and individuals for residencies lasting from two to six months. Past residents include one|twofour, the Azubis theatre group, performer Johanna Castell, and the interdisciplinary costa compagnie. Recent residents Intermedia Orkestra and cobratheater.cobra are currently developing “The Spectator’s Ship,” a project that will fill the small stage with sound, movement and debate. Visitors find a single, unadorned hall where every seat is close to the action. The walls remain plain so that lighting and sound can be reconfigured quickly for each new production. There are no velvet ropes or gilt frames—just a black box that feels like a workshop open to the public. After the show the same space may host a film or a talk, so the evening can shift from drama to documentary without leaving the room. The theatre’s compact scale turns every performance into an intimate encounter between artists and audience.