Volksbühne

The provocative interpretations, four-hour productions and alternative operettas staged by Frank Castorf, one of the most talked-about and controversial directors in town, restored the popularity of the 'People's Stage', but his deconstructions and modernisations of Russian novels and American plays have become a bit predictable. Yet the theatre continues to uphold its tradition, under his direction, of presenting the unexpected. The theatre is also home to a gallery, a small studio theatre (Parasit), and the hip, eclectic Roter and Grüner Salons. Former after-hours hangouts for the East German theatre elite, these two very different halls retain their old-style decor.