The DIE NEUBERIN Theatre Award 2026: INTHEGA honours touring productions

The 2026 INTHEGA Congress at the Stadthalle in Bielefeld once again provided the setting for the ‘DIE NEUBERIN’ theatre awards ceremony yesterday evening. The awards recognised the outstanding German-language touring productions of the past season. The organisers and members of INTHEGA decide on the award winners using a points-based system. Due to a tie in the points, second place was awarded twice this year.

The INTHEGA Executive Board’s Special Prize is awarded annually to individuals whose work has had a lasting impact on touring theatre. In 2026, the Austrian choreographer Helge Letonja will receive the award. Through his artistic work, he has made contemporary dance accessible to a wide audience and significantly strengthened its presence in the touring theatre market. “In an age of exclusion and marginalisation, the art of dance opens the door to diversity and cultural openness,”3 said Letonja, expressing his heartfelt thanks for the recognition. Letonja’s projects bring together different cultural perspectives and exemplify openness, exchange and innovation.

The 2026 Children’s and Youth Theatre Prize was awarded to the Berlin-based ensemble “Artisanen”. With their mobile productions, Inga Schmidt and Stefan Spitzer create theatrical experiences for people of all ages and reach their audience independently of fixed venues. “It is an honour for us to be able to bring to the stage the ideas that have been with us since our childhood,” said Spitzer that evening. With great imagination, the duo combines puppetry, object and material theatre, performance art, music and visual art into a unique artistic language.

The first prize, ‘DIE NEUBERIN’, went to the production ‘Marlene’ (Konzertdirektion Landgraf GmbH / Renaissance-Theater Berlin). In it, Sven Ratzke plays Marlene Dietrich and breathes new life into the famous songs of the German-American actress and singer. He senses in her biography the challenge of reinventing himself through the many different facets of her personality. Margit Schumann from Konzertdirektion Landgraf expressed her gratitude for the award: “This theatre production is a gift with many spine-tingling moments,” she said. “We are grateful that we were able to send this production on tour.”

Second prize was awarded to ‘The Visit’, a production by ENSEMBLE PERSONA in collaboration with the Stadttheater Schaffhausen. With this award, INTHEGA honours a production that does not preserve a great classic as a museum piece, but brings it to the stage with clarity, power and impressive relevance.

The other recipient of the second prize was *The Broken Jug* (umbreit Entertainment GmbH & Co. KG). Particular praise was given here to the entrepreneurial courage shown in staging Heinrich von Kleist’s classic play without collaborating with another theatre company. This is exceptional in today’s touring theatre landscape.

Third prize was awarded to the production of *The Reader* by the Altonaer Theater. Axel Schrade, artistic director of the Altonaer Theater, expressed his gratitude: “Particularly at a time when many are seeking entertainment, we are especially delighted to receive this award for *The Reader*. It confirms our commitment to ambitious theatre. Our heartfelt thanks go to all the theatres that book us.”

With the ‘DIE NEUBERIN’ theatre prize, INTHEGA – the trade association for the touring theatre sector – highlights the importance of professional touring theatre for cultural provision and recognises its artistic diversity in both urban and rural areas.

We offer our warmest congratulations to all the award winners.

What is INTHEGA?

INTHEGA (Interessengemeinschaft der Städte mit Theatergastspielen e. V.) is the trade association for the touring theatre sector, representing more than 400 local authorities in German-speaking countries. Its members include towns, municipalities, associations and other institutions responsible for municipal cultural programmes, which draw on the offerings of touring theatre producers. The association aims to support the work of touring production organisers and thus promotes high-calibre, culturally engaging events, including in rural areas.