Aarhus Theatre
Art Nouveau playhouse of 1900 beside Aarhus Cathedral, with four stages and a resident ensemble.
Aarhus Theatre opened on 15 September 1900 on Bispetorv, facing the cathedral in the oldest part of the city. Hack Kampmann designed it in an exuberant Art Nouveau manner, with a curving copper roof, a heavily modelled gable and ceramic ornament and reliefs by the sculptor Karl Hansen Reistrup. It is one of the oldest Danish theatres still in continuous use and is a protected historic building. Behind the foyer lies a horseshoe auditorium with a painted ceiling and tiers of boxes.
The theatre is today one of Denmark's largest producing playhouses, with a resident ensemble of actors and four performance spaces: the historic Main Stage, the Scala added in the 1950s, the smaller Studio and the studio room Stiklingen. Programming mixes Holberg and Ibsen with new Danish writing, musicals and work for children and young audiences, and performances are normally given in Danish. The theatre also takes part in the ILT international performing arts festival held in Aarhus.
Highlights
- Art Nouveau building of 1900 designed by Hack Kampmann
- Ceramic ornament and facade reliefs by Karl Hansen Reistrup
- Horseshoe Main Stage, plus the Scala, Studio and Stiklingen spaces
- Guided backstage tours of the listed theatre building
