Junges Theater Göttingen: Record visitors and exciting premieres!

Junges Theater Göttingen: Record visitors and exciting premieres!

The Junges Theater Göttingen has had a year full of cultural highlights. Particularly pleasing: the number of spectators increased to 42,165 in the 2024/25 season. This increased the number of entries by around 3,000 compared to the previous season, which reflects the result of hard work and a diverse program. Director Nico Dietrich and managing director Tobias Sosinka reported on these positive developments during a press conference, which illustrate the regional popularity - after all, 14,000 of the guests came from the surrounding area [Goettinger-Tageblatt].

The little spectators have something to be particularly happy about: around 16,225 children and young people attended the events in the children's and youth sector. Of these, an impressive 11,000 attended school performances and 5,000 attended weekend family performances. The Young Theater has established itself as one of the largest providers of cultural experiences for young people in the region and offers a year-round program for families.

Diverse programs and planned premieres

Exciting premieres are planned for the new theater year, which begins on August 30, 2025 with Jenny Erpenbeck's “Hheimsuchung”. This piece deals with the challenges of graduating from high school in 2026 and will be implemented as a stage version by Tanja Weidner. Directors Tobias Sosinka and Nico Dietrich focus on current topics that affect the young generation.

The monologue piece “Prima Facie” by Suzie Miller follows on September 26th, which deals with the patriarchal structure in the justice system. The chamber play “Copenhagen” by Michael Frayn, which deals with the responsibility of science in times of war, will be performed from October 10th. This variety of topics shows how the theater continually addresses current social issues and processes them creatively.

Audience numbers and challenges of the interim venue

However, the impressive numbers last season did not come without challenges. The interim venue on Bürgerstrasse only offers limited capacity, which means that popular pieces have to be performed three times instead of twice. This is necessary in order to keep the number of spectators at a similar level, explains HNA. The Young Theater uses a clever strategy to compensate for the space savings.

Those responsible are currently required to find a new director, as Nico Dietrich will be leaving the theater for the 2026/27 season. Work is currently underway to select the new director in collaboration with the supervisory board, and 32 applications have been received.

A look into the future

The Göttingen Theater has high ambitions for the future. With an extensive program plan and the ambitious return to the main building, which will be renovated by the beginning of 2028, the Young Theater is looking optimistically into the coming season. The fact that the number of viewers in the creative sector is increasing also shows a general trend in the theater landscape. According to the Bühnenverein statistics, the number of event attendances in theaters and orchestras in Germany increased by 64 percent compared to the previous year, which demonstrates the general return of spectators after the pandemic.

The coming months promise exciting cultural experiences and an exciting selection of programs. The Junge Theater Göttingen remains a central player in the region's cultural offerings and will continue to bring a breath of fresh air into the theater scene.