Leipzig Theater Festival: Provocative plays about borders and the past!

Leipzig Theater Festival: Provocative plays about borders and the past!

The city of Leipzig is all about theater, as the “Politics in Free Theater” festival will take place from October 16th to 25th, 2025. Under the motto “Boundaries”, 16 theater and dance guest performances from a total of 455 applications offer a wide range of topics and styles. As [nachtkritik.de](https://nachtkritik.de/?view=article&id=26081:festival-politik-im- Freien-theater-in-leipzig-rost-die-gegenwart-auf-dem-programm&catid=733:festspiele-und-festivals) reports, the event is organized jointly by five Leipzig theaters and the Federal Agency for Political Affairs Education-oriented and is funded with 1.4 million euros. The festival days are characterized by performances, workshops and discussions that take place in five different theaters in Leipzig.

A highlight of the festival is the casting for the new production by Studio Julian Hetzel, which took place on October 27th at the Theater der Junge Welt. Here Eva Löbau welcomed the participants, who were given numbered signs and had to complete tasks such as “crying”, “eating a peach” and “dying on the high seas”. This provocative approach of the piece “Diarrhea is my favorite color” is interpreted as a humorous and anarchic examination of the challenges of adaptation and discipline.

Diverse program

The festival not only presents artistic contributions, but also opens up a space for social discussions. Michael Turinsky's “Work Body” addresses the concept of “crip choreography” and offers a powerful reflection on the exclusion of people with disabilities. tagesschau.de also highlights that pieces like “The Director’s Guide for Theater During Wartime” by the Israeli directors Hannan Ishay and Ido Shaked deals with the Middle East conflict, while “Dunkeldorf – ein Stadtspiel” deals with the attack at the S-Bahn station in Düsseldorf in 2000.

Another impressive format is the “Backstage” project, which offers daily performances and workshops at the main train station. The program not only includes exciting performances, but also exhibitions, discussions and artistic city walks at over 60 venues in and around Leipzig.

Challenges and outlook

Despite the many innovative approaches and the creative energy that can be felt during the festival, there are also critical voices. The current state of German children's and youth theater is being questioned, and there is a clear demand for sustainable networks for the independent scene, which is threatened by financial bottlenecks. The festival is seen as an important step in the right direction - not only as a platform for art, but also as a contribution to political education and the examination of historical responsibility.

With a solid supporting program that gives visitors free entry to many events, the festival shows that theater is more than just entertainment; it is a place of discussion and learning. The organizers of the festival have shown a good knack for putting together an event that both entertains and stimulates thought and has the courage to bring social issues directly to the stage.