Altstadttheater Köpenick
In Heinrich Zille's front lounge
The Altstadttheater Köpenick, located in south-east Berlin, has established itself as a popular venue with 60 seats, plenty of local colour and light-hearted entertainment with depth. Situated in the heart of Köpenick’s historic old town, right on the Alter Markt, audiences will find a real gem of Berlin’s theatre scene. The varied programme includes the theatre’s own comedies, musical theatre, cabaret and children’s theatre.
The theatre’s history dates back to 2007, when Albrecht Hoffmann organised guided tours of the Nikolaiviertel in the guise of the historical figure Heinrich Zille. Due to rising demand, he founded Zilles Stubentheater in 2010, initially with 12 seats on Grünstraße in Köpenick. In 2016, the theatre moved to the listed former farrier’s workshop on Jägerstraße, creating a new venue with 35 seats. In addition to Zille’s programmes, the venue increasingly hosted cabaret, musical theatre, children’s theatre and guest performances.
During the 2020 lockdown, the premises in the front building were developed, enabling the creation of a second stage and a dedicated theatre café. With the arrival of director and actor Benjamin Stoll and actress Loretta Müller as theatre managers in autumn 2022, the theatre was renamed the Altstadttheater Köpenick. Since 2026, the theatre has been organised into separate divisions: the Altstadttheater in the front building is run by Loretta Müller and Benjamin Stoll, whilst Albrecht Hoffmann continues to run Zilles Stubentheater in the rear courtyard separately.
Productions at the Altstadttheater Köpenick in Berlin
The programme offers a varied range of entertainment throughout the year. The theatre’s own productions include the biographical comedy ‘Einfach Audrey’ about Audrey Hepburn, the AI-themed romantic comedy ‘Alle Frauen lieben KAI’ and the multi-part football romantic comedy ‘Eisern verschossen – verliebt in einen Unioner’. Recurring comedy and cabaret shows such as ‘Der große Heinz Erhardt Abend’ and the political cabaret ‘Ein Hauptmann kommt selten allein’ feature prominently in the programme, as do regular musical theatre evenings, including the Hildegard Knef show ‘Wenn wieder rote Rosen regnen’, the Helga Hahnemann show ‘Wir sind Dicke da!’ or the Sinatra evening ‘Swingin’ RAT PACK’. On selected Sundays, the programme is complemented by family and children’s theatre, such as the “Hexe Rosanna” series and fairy tales featuring the fairy-tale elf Anja, as well as a variety of guest performances.
In the cosy theatre café, guests are served food and drink whilst waiting to be admitted and during the intervals. For special dinner events, the café also serves as an atmospheric venue where the performers take to the stage right amongst the tables.
