Where to watch English-language theatre
English-language theatre has come a long way over the past 10 years.
There was a time when you could choose between a few musicals, non-verbal dance or some amateur dramatics. Now the choice of touring shows, the growth of local theatre productions in English, and the quality of amateur performances has substantially improved, giving theatre-lovers plenty of performance options throughout the year.
So where can you see theatre, and who is producing and directing English-language theatre in Luxembourg.
Grand Theatre/Theatre des Capucins
The Theatres of Luxembourg City – namely the Grand Theatre and the one on rue des Capucins – are managed jointly to present a balance of opera, drama, ballet, dance, and more cutting-edge theatre and comedy.
The duo maintain partnerships with other performance venues in Europe, co-producing to allow local talent and artists to take part, and for local projects to go on tour abroad. There is a strong partnership, for example, with the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in the UK.
This season the Grand Theatre has already staged Faith, Hope and Charity, written and directed by the London-based National Theatre's Alexander Zeldin, and staged the Weill/Gershwin musical, Lady in the Dark, plus a ground-breaking hip-hop performance in BLKDOG, by Botis Seva.
In January you can catch The Nature of Forgetting, a performance that looks at the fractured recollections of a 55 year-old man with dementia. In March, Ella Hickson's experiemental play about contemporary gender relations and their impact on artistic creation, The Writer, will play for eight nights.
National Theatre of Luxembourg
Created when Luxembourg was European City of Culture, it invites all professionals working in theatre, and so has staged smaller shows such as Shakespeare’s Richard II, directed with a cast of only two, by Anne Simon.
This season the brilliant one-woman show Lovefool sold out after the first night, but returns to the TNL in April 2023.
Neimënster Cultural Centre
A fairly small-sized theatre venue, the cultural centre also hosts drama workshops. Although fundamentally a music and exhibition venue, it’s worth keeping an eye on its agenda for theatre performances.
In March, there's a double bill from female writers/directors, with Anne-Mareike Hess' second solo Dreamer, which dives into her feminity by exploring stereotypes related to women, and Laris Faber's show stark bollock naked, inspired by her personal experience with social pressures of the biological clock and female identity. Both are performed 9-11 March.
Theatre du Centaure
This tiny contemporary theatre is located in a vaulted cellar in the historic old town at 4 Grand Rue. It's an intimate stage that was perfect for it's recent performance of Blackbird, a play in starring Jules Werner and Jil Devresse from the hit TV series Capitani. You'll need to keep an eye on the agenda as most of the performances are in French, but they do stage the occasional piece in English.
BananneFabrik
If you like modern and explorative danse, this city cultural centre near the central railway station has an interesting line-up of performances, plus interesting Hors Circuits on subjects such as gender and self confidence.
Theatres outside the city
Mierscher Kulturhaus
Accessible by bus and train, Mierscher Kulturhaus offers a diverse programme that supports local artists and amateur companies. It hosts the schools English-language theatre festival FEST, and FEATS – the Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies. on 24-25 February the theatre will be showing Penitence, about Michael a Catholic priest who struggles with his own faith, and has an unexpected visit.
Escher theatre
A theatre that welcomes visiting theatrical companies, and hosts about 50 performances a year including theatre, dance and music from Europe, and home-grown works. Although productions are primarily in French and German, the theatre also hosts non-verbal dance productions.
Other venues which occasionally stage English-language drama include the Kinoler cinema in Kahler, the CAPE cultural centre in Ettelbruck, and the Kinneksbond cultural centre in Mamer.
Cape is currently staging further performances of Blackbird, whilst Kinneksbond is staging The Censor in May, about a female photographer who comes face to face with the man who will determine if her work can see the light of day.
Local theatre groups
Collateral drama
Collateral drama was founded in July 2020 by actors Mayalani Moes and Alexandre Hornbeck, playwright and director Rafael David Kohn and make-up artist Joël Seiller. It aims to build bridges between cultural traditions and artist approaches, using English-language plays and German post-dramatic directing concepts. The group performed a trio of short plays under the banner “How to get rich in Luxembourg (Fast)” in the summer of 2021, and an abridged version of Euripides’ Medea at the Grand Theatre earlier in 2022.
Berliner Grund Theatre
Picnic at Hanging Rock, Little Women, A Christmas Carol and We Happy Few, are just some of the productions put on by BGTs group of amateur and professional actors. Staged in various locations such as Neimënster’s theatre or Mierscher Kulturhaus, the theatre group often adapts classic novels and even its own scripts. In April, you can look forward to performances of I can't tell you...but you feel it, a new play based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson.
Pirate Productions/ New World Theatre Club
Pirate Productions is a non-profit English-speaking musical theatre group, whose troupe include actors of all ages. They produce a couple of musical shows a year, which in the past have included Scrooge and Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof and Young Frankenstein. The 2022 production Too Darn Hot, was a celebration of the life of composer Cole Porter. The cast is not professional, but very talented, and the productions are usually family friendly.
The New World Theatre Club (NWTC) is another amateur theatre group that has been going for some 50 years in Luxembourg. It puts on productions of everything from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. The Club organises the Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies or FEATS, hosted at Mierscher Kulturhaus.
In late March the NWTC Youth Theatre groups will perform a double bill of The Adventures of Rocky & Skye and Brainstorm, at the Altimentri cultural centre in the city.
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