I amsterdam - Theatres

Below is a list of just some of the theatres in Amsterdam offering performances and shows where language is not a problem. These and other performances can be found in more detail and booked by selecting this site's Culture & Events service button in the right column, by contacting the AUB Ticket Sales office from within the Netherlands at: 0900-0191 (€0,40 per minute, from 09.00 to 20.00 hours), or by visiting the AUB Ticketshop at the corner of the Leidseplein/Marnixstraat from 10:00 - 18:00 (Thursdays until 21:00 and Sundays from 12:00).

 Theatre Museum

Amsterdam has a diverse theatrical history. It is the city of poet Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679), whose tragedy 'Gijsbrecht van Aemstel' used to be performed in the city every New Year's Eve since 1638 until the mid-1960s. The Theatre Museum contains much information about the city's history with theatre, presenting exhibitions on historical themes covering children's theatre to cabaret to drama to circus. Housed in a beautiful former canal house, its sections stemming from 1638 to the 18th century and includes a charming garden. The museum is run by the Dutch Theater Institute, which promotes Dutch theatre and dance abroad as well as supporting a programme of artistic exchange between Dutch and international companies and theatre professionals, providing information and advice to Dutch and foreign theatre and dance professionals.

Address: Herengracht 168
Tel: +31 (0)20-5513300
email: internationaloffice@tin.nl

ABC Treehouse

The ABC Treehouse, in the old warehouse of the American Book Center, provides space for meetings, events and exhibitions. It also offers frequent Open Mike Nights in English for poets, artists, songwriters, storytellers, singers, comedians, and writers. Performers must register in advance.

Address: Voetboogstraat 11
Office Tel: +31 (0)20 423 0967
Reservations: +31 (0)61 121 5781
email: treehouse@abc.nl or 020 5352573

Akhnaton Center for World Culture

The Akhnaton, named after the legendary Pharao who wanted to break trhough traditions and customs, aims to be a refuge for the cultural heritage of the children of immigrants. It hosts a café, hall and a society, offering erformances and rental space.

Address: Nieuwezijds Kolk 25
Tel: +31 (0)20 624 3396
email: akhnaton@akhnaton.nl

Amsterdams Marionetten Theater

The Amsterdam Marionette Theater presents a unique form of music theatre: the European tradition of the classical marionette theatre. Wooden actors, in their silk and velvet costumes, present opera's by Offenbach (The Castle in the Air) and Mozart (Die Zauberflote, Bastien & Bastienne and The Impresario). Six puppeteers manipulate the large marionettes. Artistic director: Hendrik Bonneur. Beyond the scheduled performances, the theatre can organise for your guests a private opera dinner, opera high tea or lunch, on a date which suits you best.

Address: Nieuwe Jonkerstraat 8
Tel: +31 (0)20 620 8027
email:info@marionettentheater.nl

Azart Ship of Fools

The Azart Ship of Fools is a truly unique absurdist collective of theatrical artists from three continents 'on a festive pilgrimmage around the world in praise of folly', offering 'a comic and philosofical slapstick in the medieval tradition of the travelling artist.'  Performing on a 1916 Dutch herring logger docked in the KNSM-Island on the eastern harbour, the troup offers absurdist cabaret, movies, music, comedy, poetry and things never seen before in several languages. Funny enough, the Ship of Fools have received a formal XVIII-century letter from former Amsterdam Mayor Schelto Patijn, with exactly the text Amsterdam Mayors used to give to Amsterdam captains, requesting that the chip be welcomed wherever it lands. If that's not enough, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix herself has also written a letter proudly giving the ship permission to fly the Dutch flag.

Address: Azartplein 117
email: az@azart.org 

Boom Chicago

Started over a decade ago by a group of American friends on a post-college tour of Europe, Boom Chicago is now an industry of laughter, with connections and comparisons to American comic standards such as Second City Chicago, Saturday Night Live, and Mad TV. Performing eight hillarious shows a week year round, Boom Chicago is an electric mix of of scripted scenes and improvisation  combined with state-of-the-art lighting, music, video and new media. Lauded by the likes of The Wall Street Journal, The Scottsman, and The Volkskrant, the comedy theater offers entertainment, surprise guests, audience participation, good meals and a popular bar. I also performs around the world as well as offering tailor-made corporate shows, improvisation classes and a a funny look at Amstedam and the world.

Address: Leidseplein Theater, Leidseplein 12
Tel: +31(0)20 530 7300
email: VIP & Group reservations, reservations@boomchicago.nl; Private events, tamar@boomchicago.nl; Corporate shows, saskia@boomchicago.nl; Promotions, christy@boomchicago.nl

Dogtroep

Founded in 1975, Dogtroep is an Amsterdam company that has achieved fame well over the Dutch borders with small and large scale imagery theatre performances at various indoors and outdoors locations. The group uses images, acting and music and hardly any text. Because of its 'universal' language, the theater group has broken borders around the world, performing to acclaim in places such as the French Alps, a body of water in Seville, a ship dock in Amsterdam-Noord, a hospital in Groningen, the Red Square of Moscow or the construction areas of the Leidsche Rijn near Utrecht.

Workshop & Office Address: Plotterstraat 11
Tel: +31 (0)20 6321139
Email: info@dogtroep.nl

Felix Meritis Society

On the beautiful Keizersgracht, one finds the Felix Mertitis Society, founded In 1777 by the citizens of Amsterdam for the advancement of the arts and sciences. Over 200 years later, the thriving international cultural society still keeps these objective alive with exchange of ideas in  art, culture, science and society in order to contribute to cultural and political co-operation throughout Europe and the World. It offers international and intercultural performaces, concerts, lectures and forums in the fields of Art & Media, Culture & Politics, and Education & Science.

Address: Keizersgracht 324
Tel: +31 (0)20 626 2321
email: felix@felix.meritis.nl

Koninklijk Theater Carré

The Koninklijk Theater Carré royal theater offes a diverse selection of programmes including musicals, song, dance, theater and circus/varieté - 365 days a year. 

Box Officel: +31 20 5249 452
email: kassa@theatercarre.nl

Arrangements
Tel: 31 (0)20 5249 412
email: publieksservices@theatercarre.nl

Guided tours
Tel: +31 (0)20 5249 412
email: publieksservices@theatercarre.nl

Stadsschouwberg Amsterdam

The Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam city theater features important companies from Dutch, but also international, cultural landscape of stage, music theatre and modern dance.

Address: Leidseplein 26
Office Tel: +31 (0)20 523 77 00
fax. 020 623 86 85
email. info@stadsschouwburgamsterdam.nl

Theater Bellevue & Theater Nieuw de La Mar (Dutch sites)

These theaters are favouties of the true Dutch theater crowd, and while they offer many performances in Dutch, sometimes one can find language-no-problem shows such as stand-up comedy, musical reviews, dance and specials such as the 'Totally Reduced Shakespeare'.  Both theaters can be found back-to-back right off of Leidseplein, the Theater Bellevue facing the Leidsekade and the Theater Nieuwe de la Mar on Marnixstraat. Together, their four halls offer some 800 shows a year, with the Bellevue housing its own theater company and prodicing circa six shows of their own per year, and houses three individual theaters with their on atmospheres, as well as Theater-café Restaurant De Smoeshaan. The Nieuwe de la Mar Theater offers a varied programme of comedy, classic theater, Dutch cabaret, music, musicals and children's theater.

Theater Bellevue
Address: Leidsekade 90 
Tel Box Office: +31 (0)020 530 5302
Tel Office: +31 (0)020 530 5300
email: info@theaterbellevue.nl

Theater Nieuw de la Mar
Address: Marnixstraat 404
Tel Box Office: +31 (0)20 530 5301
Tel Office: +31 (0)020 530 5300
email: info@theaterbellevue.nl

Theater De Engelenbak

De Engelenbak highlights the encounter between professional and amateur theatre makers, with the quality of the production as guiding criterion. On Tuesday evenings one find the open mike night, when people with hidden talent have a quarter of an hour to impress the public in the De Engelenbak theatre. Many now famous artists began their careers here.

Address: Nes 71
Office Tel: +31 (0)20 626 36 44
Box Office: +31 (0)20 626 68 66
email: info@engelenbak.nl; (open mike) openbak@engelenbak.nl

The Vondelpark Openluchttheater (Dutch Site)

The Vondelpark Openluchttheater opens for a summer of its free concerts and performances from the beginning of July until the middle of August. 1500 seats distributed over three stands, and lots of park grass to lounge on with a picknick basket and some freinds. A delightfully friendly, cultural and multi-cultural atmosphere, the Vondelpark open air theater offers the public classical, pop and folk performances, dance classes in, ege, salsa and roller disco, open-air film, and lots of street performers. A must-do/must-see.

Tel: +31 (0)20 523 7790 (office); +31 (0)20 673 1499(on performance days)
Office Address: Marnixstraat 427
email: info@openluchttheater.nl