Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin: Contract extension for Artistic Director and Managing Director Dr Berndt Schmidt until 2034

Stefan Evers, Senator for Culture and Finance: “With the extension of Dr Berndt Schmidt’s contract, I would like to thank an indispensable figure in Berlin’s cultural landscape, whose impressive imagination and managerial skills have enriched our city for years. Every two years, he manages to captivate audiences anew with a perfectly staged grand show. The current production, ‘Blinded by Delight’, also offers hope in these crisis-ridden times – a sense of hope that lingers long after the performance has ended. Dr Berndt Schmidt also succeeds in ensuring that, despite budget cuts, the Friedrichstadt-Palast remains a Berlin favourite and a cultural institution of the future. As Senator for Finance and Culture, I am therefore delighted that he will continue to devote his energy and creativity to the State of Berlin.”

Dr Berndt Schmidt, Artistic Director of the Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Berlin Senate and the Supervisory Board for their trust. Being the Artistic Director of this theatre is the honour of my life. Even after so many years, this great responsibility brings me as much joy as it did on the very first day. I assure my ensemble, our guests and the State of Berlin that I will continue to give my all every day to ensure that the Palast, as the capital’s most-visited theatre, continues to shine and delight our audience.”

The new grand show BLINDED by DELIGHT tops the list of Friedrichstadt-Palast productions, having sold 457,700 tickets and generated total takings of 34.55 million euros. The new young show SPOOKY Charlottenburg will also premiere in November.

The Friedrichstadt-Palast is a revue theatre with a long tradition. The theatre magician Max Reinhardt founded the Großes Schauspielhaus in 1919, whose programme was dedicated to entertainment and dance right from the start. During the GDR era, the Friedrichstadt-Palast became the country’s most important entertainment venue and, in 1984, was given a new theatre building in the style of socialist post-modernism and GDR brutalism. Under Dr Berndt Schmidt, who has been directing the Palast since 2007, the theatre’s focus is on the further development of the art form of revue theatre and dance. With its young ensemble, the Friedrichstadt-Palast also runs the largest children’s and youth ensemble in Europe.