Stadttheater Kempten

The Stadttheater Kempten is a protected theatre in the Swabian town of Kempten. The building began as a salt store in 1392 before becoming a comedy house in 1654. It was converted into a three-tier theatre in 1827 by the painter Franz Sales Lochbihler, who also painted the stage curtain showing Apollo and the dancing Muses.

The theatre is worth visiting for its long history and modern revival. After a 2006–2007 renovation it gained a glass foyer and new acoustics while restoring the 1827 auditorium. A local support group raised a million euros for the work and the theatre now runs as a non-profit company under artistic directors including Silvia Armbruster since 2015. Recent premières include plays on migration, Chanel’s life and a chamber opera based on Edgar Allan Poe.

Visitors find a restored 1827 auditorium with 638 seats and a glass foyer that opens onto the theatre square. Above the square hangs Stephan Huber’s 2007 sculpture Cumulus: Cambodunum, a cloud from which artificial rain falls every hour. The theatre’s programme mixes its own productions with guest performances and regular appearances by a small ensemble of actors such as Julia Jaschke and Hans Piesbergen.