Berlin's Volksbühne to Become Public Pool Under New Director Matthias Lilienthal

Matthias Lilienthal, the new director of Berlin's Volksbühne theatre, announced plans to install a 25-meter swimming pool in front of the building from August to October, calling it the "Volksbad" (People's Bath). The pool will be free and open to all without ID requirements. Lilienthal described the project both as a theatrical event—"two people splashing each other"—and as a protest against Berlin's decaying infrastructure, including the shortage of public pools. He takes over after the sudden death of previous director René Pollesch two years ago. Lilienthal previously worked at the Volksbühne, led Berlin's HAU and Munich's Kammerspiele. The ensemble includes Kathrin Angerer, Martin Wuttke, and Sophie Rois; new member Julia Riedler, named Actress of the Year by Theater heute in 2025, joins. Rimini Protokoll will create a piece about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Other artists include Satoko Ichihara, Wallace Ferreira, Davi Pontes, Lena Brasch, Christopher Rüping, and Toshiki Okada. The Prater stage, closed for over a decade, will reopen with a premiere of "Die Perfektionen" directed by Anta Recke. Choreographer Florentina Holzinger, known for radical works like "Sancta" and currently representing Austria at the Venice Art Biennale, will present a new production in May 2028 and also serve as an advisor alongside choreographer Marlene Montero Freitas.