Many roles Christine Eixenberger makes her own, not least her own: as a primary school teacher, she once switched to the stage and immediately embarked on a TV career. For the successful ZDF series "Marie fängt Feuer" she has been in front of the camera for years as a firefighter and shines in numerous other character roles in film and television. But the full-blooded entertainer's comedic core competency is demonstrated above all live: she has been awarded the Bavarian Cabaret Prize for her versatile stage comedy.

In her new solo program, Christine Eixenberger tells the story of what it's like not to be alone anymore. The relationship is stable, the lack of housing also, so her partner moves in with her. "I and you" becomes "we" - with all the consequences. But Chrissy has it all under control. Well, almost. With tireless energy and enthusiasm, she not only defies the small crises in her newly minted duo household, but also the big ones in the world, because she knows: the big mirrors the small. And vice versa. Supply chain problems, artificial intelligence, and chip shortages? The trained primary school teacher meets them with a robust craftsman attitude and a biotech lab in the fridge.
As a philosophically inclined scion of Generation Y, she always asks the question of "why": Why is a balanced budget more important than a functioning education system? Why do the Austrians and the Swiss manage to operate a functioning rail network despite topographical obstacles? And why, for heaven's sake, is there still a crumb from breakfast on the tablecloth when it's already afternoon?
In her fifth stage program "Total Control," the sharp-tongued cabaret artist humorously faces the challenges of advanced partnering in turbulent times - profound, entertaining, and very, very funny.

INDIEN
Reading with Josef Hader and Alfred Dorfer

The STADTSAAL is bringing a rare event to the stage on January 12, 2026, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its existence: "Indien," a scenic reading of the classic stage version by Josef Hader and Alfred Dorfer, presented by the two authors. As early as early 2011, "Indien" was the first fixed program point in the newly opened theater on Vienna's Mariahilfer Straße.

The much-praised, cabaret-style little cabinet piece and tragicomic small art work as a reading - with Alfred Dorfer (Kurt Fellner), Josef Hader (Heinz Bösel). Fellner: "I have this theory that food is often related to the landscape in question. So where the landscape is rather barren, there are often grilled things. 'In our place, the landscape is a bit more lush, so we have these many pastries.'" Bösel: "Aha. I'm not that into sweets." Fellner: "In India, for example, they only eat rice. They sit on the streets, eat rice, laugh while doing it, some are starving. It must be a completely different kind of landscape." Bösel: "Now you're joking. What's the truth? It's insane, you hear. These other peoples..."

Whoever knows the struggles of life deserves an ice cream!

What a mishmash! But isn't it supposed to be mishmash, without the "t"? "Doesn't matter!" says Wudri, because he loves everything that inspires the imagination. Especially fairy tales and stories, fables and poems. And he especially loves to tell everyone he meets about them! For him, it doesn't matter how much he mixes up – as long as the story is full of the characters and drama he loves so much. If you meet him for the first time on the street or in the park, you could almost believe that nothing is missing. But if you look closer and listen to him, you'll notice how much of himself is in his stories. "Mischmatsch" is the tale of a person on the fringes of society. For someone who has so little, the joy of life and the hunger for liveliness also mean survival. And it seems like his humor and yearning are the only things he can hold against his situation. "Mischmatsch" raises the question of how we want to live and everything it takes to look forward to a more just future, where humanity and the well-being of all become the most valuable asset we have.

By and with: Siruan Darbandi

Vienna’s Only Weekly English Improv Comedy Spectacular
Step into a night of pure laughter, creativity, and spontaneity!

This one-of-a-kind improv comedy show brings your wildest ideas to life on stage. It's a comedy variety show like no other, where anything can happen, and YOU call the shots! Imagine this: an improvised movie, clever sketches, and hilarious plays—all created on the spot, inspired by YOUR suggestions. No scripts. No limits. Just quick wit, big laughs, and unforgettable moments crafted in real-time by some of Vienna’s top improv talents.

Why settle for Netflix when you can watch a live comedy masterpiece unfold right before your eyes? From side-splitting characters to unexpected twists, every show is a unique adventure that will leave you wanting more.


Three reasons to join us:

- Interactive Fun: Be part of the action—your ideas shape the night!
- Unforgettable Comedy: Laugh out loud with a vibrant crowd.
- Unique Experience: No two shows are the same, so every performance is a new journey.

Perfect for locals, expats, and tourists! Whether you're flying solo, bringing friends, or planning a date night, this show is your gateway to Vienna's English comedy scene.
Skip the mundane and dive into a world where creativity knows no bounds. Make your Monday extraordinary—join us for Vienna’s ultimate comedy experience!

Although Franz eagerly seeks the favor of his father, Karl is the notorious favorite son of Count von Moor. The shared love interest Amalia only has eyes for the handsome Karl. Franz's only chance for inheritance and recognition is a scheme against his brother. The father is deceived and banishes Karl …
In their adaptation, humor virtuosos Kaja Dymnicki and Alexander Pschill transpose Schiller's Sturm und Drang drama into the music production scene of the 1970s. Karl is not only the favorite son but also a poster boy and hit supplier in Mr. von Moor's surf-pop empire. After the break with his father, Karl literally takes another angle and switches to the room-destroying rock genre. But love drives Karl back to his father's suite a few power chords later, where Franz is now up to his mischief …

DIE RÄUBER is a collaboration between the Volkstheater Bezirke and the Bronski & Grünberg Theater. Following ROMEO AND JULIET, Kaja Dymnicki and Alexander Pschill continue their characteristic engagement with classics and tell Schiller's revolutionary debut as a fast-paced slapstick tragedy with depth.

Kafka's narrative DER BAU is the protocol of an underground world where happiness and paranoia are closely intertwined. It describes a kind of human-animal, a kafkaesque, thinking creature. The being lives in a mental crusade, in a permanent state of emergency, directed against the outside world, against potential intruders.

DER BAU is a parable about society, which constantly creates risks by trying to prevent them. As in all of Kafka's stories, the consequences of their actions and thoughts inexorably drive the beings, animals, humans, men, forward, often abandoned by any sense of reality.

Direction: Max Simonischek
Stage: Besim Morina,
Harald B. Thor
Costume: Fashion Design Basman
Sound Consulting: Daniel Freitag
Light: Marcus Loranv Dramaturgy: Peter Kastenmüller

Cast

Max Simonischek

SHE says: I pressed my hands against his chest. I said, "no, not."

HE says: At no point did she clearly and distinctly say "no" to any action.

Successful woman meets successful man. They start an affair. Both are married with children. After a few years, they decide to part ways in friendship, but shortly after, fate brings them back together. They engage in sexual intercourse again. She says it was not consensual. He says that's not true. Who is telling the truth? Will the trial reveal the answer?

After the two highly successful productions Terror and God, the Kammerspiele open the season with the premiere of another courtroom drama written by Ferdinand von Schirach. Once again, the author tackles an extremely sensitive topic. This time, he explores whether and to what extent current legislation is sufficient to legally assess sexual assaults. In public opinion, an acquittal or dismissal of such a case is often seen as evidence that the victim lied. One may recall recent cases such as the high-profile trial of Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard. The fundamental issue, however, lies in the fact that the court must not judge what actually happened, but only what can be proven.

German version by Sabine Pribil

But we didn't want to know either.

After decades of silence, Brunhilde Pomsel spoke for the first time at the age of 103 about her time as a stenographer and secretary to Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. Although Pomsel worked for one of the greatest criminals in history and for the leadership elite of National Socialism, she always referred to herself merely as a “marginal figure” and completely “apolitical.” Even in the last days of the war, she remained in the already destroyed city and sewed the flag of the official capitulation of Berlin in the bunker. She was then taken into Soviet captivity. Until the end, she insisted that she only learned about the Holocaust after the fall of National Socialism.

English playwright Christopher Hampton has created an impressive theater text from the original conversations that Brunhilde Pomsel had with Christian Krönes, Olaf S. Müller, Roland Schrotthofer, and Florian Weigensamer for the film of the same name Ein deutsches Leben. Pomsel's life story raises questions about the personal responsibility of each individual for the political events of the time.

Director Andrea Breth places Brunhilde Pomsel’s account in a poetically associative context of the time between 1929 and 1950. Together with musician Adam Benzwi, she weaves well-known hits, old folk songs, and burdened homeland songs into an atmospheric play.

In addition to 82-year-old Lore Stefanek, who was awarded the German Actor’s Prize last year, Andrea Clausen and Fin Holzwart, among others, can be experienced.

Cast:

Direction
Andrea Breth

Set Design
Raimund Orfeo Voigt

Costumes
Jens Kilian

Musical Direction
Adam Benzwi
dramaturgy
Barbara Nowotny

Lighting
Alexander Koppelmann

Brunhilde Pomsel
Lore Stefanek
At the piano
Adam Benzwi

with
Andrea Clausen
Fin Holzwart
Peter Buchecker
Robert Chionis
Mark Rayal
Manfred Loydolt
Harald Denkmair
Marlene Blaschon
Sophia Buchmann
Tobias Egermann
Sophia Valerie Jelinek
Clara Lackner-Zinner
Ladislava Lyssenko
Paula Nittel
Noah Pardeller-Lingens
Alice Ruth Richter
Ella Schmid
Sofia Sullivan
Elisabeth Temel-Stiller

Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen
Johann Sebastian Bach meets Barbara Strozzi and Francesca Caccini

Ensemble colorparte
Katharina Wegscheider - soprano
Hannah Pichler - baroque cello
Daniel Freistetter - organ

Monday, January 12, 2026
Reformed City Church
Dorotheergasse 16, 1010 Vienna
Start: 19:30

The high-class young ensemble presents numerous facets of early music in lively, colorful, and expressive interpretation. The focus is on significant female composers of the Baroque period, such as Francesca Caccini (1578-1640, Florence) and Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677, Venice). On the occasion of the Paul Gerhardt Year 2026 (350th anniversary of his death), the ensemble combines works by the two composers with compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, who notably set texts by Paul Gerhardt to music. The program is rounded off with selected pieces from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach.
With her crystal-clear, bell-like voice, young soprano Katharina Wegscheider delights and showcases her extraordinary talent. The continuo with Daniel Freistetter and Hannah Pichler complements her through a finely tuned interplay and sensitively crafted sound colors of baroque music.

The True, the Good, and the Beautiful – have we really lost them today?

These three terms have not always been separated as they currently are – a look back to the Greeks shows us that they were directly related and stood in connection with each other: Everything that is true was also considered good; everything good was beautiful, and everything beautiful was, in turn, true. This direct connection among all three terms has been lost over the years; each now stands on its own and does not have to apply to the others anymore. Especially in the current political discourse and in recent news, one can observe how much we as a society have distanced ourselves from this principle.

The focus has shifted; we overlook the good and beautiful things because we are overwhelmed by the many tidings of woe, wars, and crises. Yet it is very important, especially in challenging situations, to repeatedly direct our gaze to the positive sides of life. For the beautiful is still present – one simply needs to go into nature, attend a concert, or visit an exhibition to find it. The Good, the True & the Beautiful – all three are special sources of strength that we, as social beings, need for a flourishing coexistence. They are central values of our society because they are indispensable for building successful relationships. Unfortunately, these values are increasingly undermined and weakened by politicians and public figures through the dissemination of fake news; therefore, we are called upon even more to make the True, the Good, and the Beautiful our guiding principle in life.

ORF III RECORDING

Please note that the event will be recorded and that the recording can be used without time, location, or subject restrictions.

Experience the unique music of authentic Viennese culture in the stunning Peterskirche right in the city center!

Exodus Artis presents a concert that will guide you through the history of three of the most well-known and exciting operas in the repertoire with live moderation and musical accompaniment: Mozart's Don Giovanni, Verdi's Rigoletto, and Bizet's Carmen. Discover the sound and passion of the top-notch singers and musicians who regularly perform at the State Opera and the Music Association, all in a cozy and beautiful atmosphere. The singers and the Exodus Artis ensemble will perform the most beloved moments from these masterpieces for an evening that is equally suited for opera lovers and culture enthusiasts.

The Peterskirche offers enchanting acoustics for opera singing with dramatic frescoes and other artworks, completing the uniqueness of the event. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy this unforgettable and spectacular evening!

The ridiculous travels of ship's doctor Lemuel Gulliver to Lilliput and the land of giants are filled with fantasy and adventure; at least as exciting are the lesser-known expeditions to the flying island of Laputa or the land of talking horses. Jonathan Swift's literary classic is marketed in the German-speaking world primarily as a children's book, but is actually a biting satire: How absurd one's own existence seems when encountering completely different forms of life and worlds.

After DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE – THE OPERA BUT NOT THE OPERA and SCHACHNOVELLE, Nils Strunk and Lukas Schrenk now bring a musical adaptation of the world-famous classic from 1726 to the stage. Our recommendation is: Ideal from 8 years! Mandatory from 21! Rejuvenating from 40! And of course, free entry from 99 years!

With kind support from WIENER STÄDTISCHE Versicherung AG.

Direction: Nils Strunk, Lukas Schrenk
Stage design: Maximilian Lindner
Costumes: Anne Buffetrille
Music: Nils Strunk
Costume assistance: Lara Regula
Lyrics: Lukas Schrenk
Sound design: Alexander Nefzger
Study leader: Alexander Xidi Christof
Light: Roman Sobotka
dramaturgy: Rita Czapka

Cast

Gunther Eckes
Stefko Hanushevsky
Lola Klamroth
Dietmar König
Annamária Láng
Rebecca Lindauer
Markus Meyer
Martin Schwab

Live music

Nils Strunk/Alexander Xidi Christof (piano), Jörg Mikula/Amir Wahba (rhythm), Bernhard Moshammer/Nikolaus Waltersdorfer (guitar/bass/cuatro/vocals), Richie Winkler/Manuel Ernst (bass clarinet/clarinet/duduk/whistle/ flute), Rina Kaçinari/Gudula Urban (cello/vocals), Hans Wagner/Barry O'Mahony (electric guitar/synthesizer/electronics)

Elektra
Tragedy by Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Driven by insatiable hatred and a longing for revenge, Electra lives solely for the moment when she can avenge her father Agamemnon’s murder.

In this radically reduced production by Fatih Sentürk, Electra confronts the trauma of her family. Between guilt, revenge, and a yearning for justice, Hofmannsthal's classic condenses into an intense psychodrama. Driven by the pain of her father's murder, Electra lives only for the moment of retribution. A window becomes the place of lamentation, madness, and liberation – compelling, modern, human.

Hofmannsthal's intense work of linguistic art combines ancient weight with modern psychology – a milestone of expressionist theater that delves deep into the abysses of human passion.

The kings of hardcore from the Bay Area in California first stormed the scene in 2007 with their debut album "The Will To Survive". Influenced by bands like BLOOD FOR BLOOD, HATEBREED, and MADBALL, LIONHEART launched directly into a brutal storm of murderous hardcore. Shortly thereafter, in 2010, "Built On Struggle" followed, and in 2012 they followed up with "Undisputed" and years of consistent touring. After a short break following the release of "Undisputed", the band returned in 2014 stronger than ever with "Welcome To The Westcoast". The album debuted at #1 in both the iTunes Metal and Google Play Metal Charts. LIONHEART once again conquered the scene in January 2016 with "Love Don’t Live Here". The album title, which is a nod to the R&B/Motown classic of the same name, expresses the band's reluctance to be pigeonholed into the same "hardcore box," as well as the bitter and harsh lyrics for which the band is known. In November 2017, LIONHEART then released "Welcome To The Westcoast II". As a follow-up to "Welcome To The Westcoast" (2014), the album heralded a new era of California hardcore and once again brought the band #1 in the iTunes Metal charts and Google Play Metal Charts.

GERY SEIDL "relationWISE"

Never is nothing.
Deceptive the appearance that today is one of those days where nothing much seems to be happening...
You rock in apparent security until - smack - the door opens and suddenly your world turns at a right angle. Unfortunately, it's not a lottery win entering from outside, not an uncle from America, and not an invitation to a scratch card show.
It's life without a filter embodied by Mr. Tulip, by Urli, the long-forgotten sister-in-law Iris, a neighbor with a train conductor's cap, a huge idea, and a lucky coincidence.
And suddenly we are right in the middle of a fast-paced story. That's life.
But the dolphin on his bicycle is certainly not there.
Anyway, he has other things to do.

Viva la Vida - A Tribute to Frida Kahlo

The award-winning dance theater of Innsbruck's star choreographer Enrique Gasa Valga

She was an artist, a master of self-staging, and became an icon: Frida Kahlo. Her world, full of colors, emotions, and contradictions, now comes to life in a whirlwind of dance and captivating live music. Inspired by her famous painting "The Two Fridas," an emotional homage unfolds on stage, celebrating both her unbridled joy of life and her inner turmoil. Awarded the Austrian Music Theater Prize, the Golden Schikaneder, this dance theater promises an unforgettable feast for all the senses, accompanied by boleros, tangos, and popular Mexican songs.

Intense, passionate, and award-winning

Frida, accompanied by death throughout her life, experienced her existence with full intensity: whether moments bathed in sunshine or those moments as dark as the darkest night. The star choreographer Enrique Gasa Valga, who found his artistic home in Austria and has been awarded multiple times for his ballet productions, translates this indomitable will to live and the artist's inner turmoil into a powerful, breathtaking dance theater that makes Frida's indomitable spirit, her passion, and her pain visible.

Join us on a journey through the powerful heart and passionate soul of Frida Kahlo - Viva la Vida!

Manuel Rubey and Simon Schwarz both have four left hands. At least. Nevertheless, the two friends consider it a great idea to open a restaurant. Simon has already played a chef in a movie once and Manuel enjoys drinking wine. That should be enough in terms of expertise, they think. The upscale restaurant in the middle of the province is supposed to overshadow everything that has come before. In the light of day, however, it looks more like a candidate for "botched construction."
As if the restaurant burning down wasn't enough, the strong smell of arson is in the air. At least for the village policewoman, who uses the investigation with the acting stars to launch her podcast.

The search for the arsonist leads Manuel Rubey and Simon Schwarz back into the past, into their innermost selves, and to essential questions like: Aren't we all somehow small arsonists? In our friendships? In our professions? In relationships?

For the policewoman, the case is clear anyway: It was Rubey who did it, he brought the hut down warm. Because maybe murderers are always the gardeners, but arsonists are always the people from Vienna. *

* We have chosen not to gender the saying.

Book: Sebastian Huber, Jürgen Marschal, Manuel Rubey, Simon Schwarz
Direction: Sebastian Huber & Jürgen Marschal