When does the performance take place?

The world premiere is scheduled for 07.05.2026 at 19:30.

Where will Vernissage be performed?

It will be performed at the E.T.A. Hoffmann Theater, Studio area, at E.T.A.-Hoffmann-Platz 1 in Bamberg.

How much does a ticket cost?

A ticket for the event costs from 13 euros.

Is the theater wheelchair accessible?

The main house of the theater is wheelchair accessible; for studio formats, it is advisable to inquire at the box office about specific access.

Is there a cloakroom and service on site?

Yes, coats, jackets, backpacks, and umbrellas should be deposited in the cloakroom or stored in lockers for safety reasons.

How do I get to the theater?

The theater is centrally located in Bamberg; nearby stops and parking are indicated at Schillerplatz and in the Zentrum-Süd parking garage as well as in the Altstadt Geyerswörth underground garage.

Robert Seethaler's world premiere enchants Bamberg with art, family, and quiet melancholy

Name: Vernissage (World Premiere) by Robert Seethaler
Start: 2026-05-07T21:30:00+02:00
End: 2026-05-07T23:30:00+02:00
Location: E.T.A. Hoffmann Theater - Studio

A new Seethaler play brings the art world into flicker

With “Vernissage”, Robert Seethaler writes directly for the stage for the first time – and opens a chamber play about family, power, art, and the quiet farewell to a cultural world that must reinvent itself at the E.T.A. Hoffmann Theater Bamberg.

An ensemble in the tension between shine and decay

At the center is the gallery of the Kayserlings, a place where generations clash and certainties crumble. Peter Kayserling dares to make a fresh start in the gallery before the eyes of his father, who has long since become a legend. What begins as a departure tips into a finely observed drama about expectations, vanities, and the cost of progress. Seethaler captures these shifts with quiet irony and precise psychological insight.

When the stage becomes a gallery

The play lives from atmospheres: from the soft crackle of a vernissage, from the sound of shoes on the floor, from glances that reveal more than dialogues. The direction by Jana Vetten relies on an ensemble that makes visible the fine cracks between the characters. In the set design by Genia Leis, with music by Cornelius Borgolte and dramaturgy by John von Düffel, a stage experience is created that seeks intimacy while also marking distance.

Robert Seethaler's first theater text with literary precision

Seethaler is already familiar to the audience as a storyteller of great small existences. With novels like “The Tobacconist” and “A Whole Life”, he has created characters that resonate long after. In “Vernissage”, he remains true to this style: reduction instead of pathos, quiet conflicts instead of loud effects, subtle undertones instead of didactic theses. This is precisely where the strength of this world premiere lies.

An evening about art as the last promise

The piece not only tells of a family but also of a cultural life under pressure. About the question of what art is worth when the audience and the market change. And about the stubborn hope that in the moment of disappearance, something shines again. Those who appreciate precise acting, clever direction, and a literary theater atmosphere will find an evening here that lingers.

Conclusion: “Vernissage” promises a world premiere with fine observation, playful elegance, and melancholic tension. The E.T.A. Hoffmann Theater Bamberg invites you to a theater evening that brings art, family, and the present into an intense dialogue. A must-see live experience.