More is of course always possible

Interview with Uwe Heinrichs, Artistic Director at Kurtheater Baden.

How do people in Baden feel about the theatre? Is it an important meeting place?

The Kurtheater is the only full stage in the canton of Aargau and the city of Baden, with almost 20,000 residents, has always been very proud of the theatre. After the Corona years, we are once again experiencing increasing interest and a lot of popularity. But more is always possible, of course.

Baden is just under 20 minutes by train from Zurich. Is that too far a journey or do many people from Zurich visit the Kurtheater?

There's still some room for improvement there, too. We have invested in PR in order to attract more people from Zurich. We did well with the dance production by the Belgian troupe Peeping Tom and the Milo Rau production "Familie" was also very well received. But our impression is that there are people interested in culture in Zurich who are not familiar with the house and the international programme. We would like to change that, of course.

You are a theatre without an ensemble. How many productions do you invite per season?

In the curated programme for which I am responsible, I can invite about 50 productions per season from the fields of drama, music theatre, concerts, theatre for children and young people and dance. In addition, we also rent out the theatre for lighter muses like comedy or musicals.

You must be on the road a lot to see plays or companies. What are your criteria for an engagement?

I have to like the performance, of course. But just as important is whether the production could interest the Baden audience and whether the programme as a whole covers a broad thematic spectrum. That's why our programme includes contemporary and classics as well as upscale entertainment. It's the mixture that makes the difference.

Your dance performances, of which I have seen several and really enjoyed them all, are often quite avant-garde. Is the local audience very open to new things?

Yes, the audience at the Kurtheater is very open-minded. That encouraged me to invite the Stuttgart Gauthier Dance Company with their new quite avant-garde evening "The Seven Sins" in the coming season.

Baden is a spa town, the theatre is located right next to the spa gardens. What does this tradition mean for your theatre?

The city has a long history as a cultural and spa town and is proud of its Grand Casino. In our own productions, we pick up on these traditions that shape the city and other themes relevant to the region. Our "Kurgast" based on Hermann Hesse was very successful. And in the next season, the theme of gambling and casino is on the agenda.

With black jack and poker rounds in the theatre?

Well, we certainly won't be a competitor. We prefer to keep it with Dostoyevsky.