For the first time, Emil is allowed to travel alone to Berlin, and he's carrying 140 marks for his grandmother in his pocket. His grandmother and cousin Pony Hütchen are waiting for him at Friedrichstraße station. But Emil doesn't show up. While the grandmother and Pony Hütchen are still pondering what to do, Emil has already plunged into an exciting chase. Right across the big foreign city, always after the thief who stole all his money on the train. Luckily, Emil soon receives support from Gustav with the horn and his gang…
In cooperation with 30 children and teenagers from the Choir Academy Pforzheim and many adult contributors from Kultur im Osterfeld e.V., the Kulturhaus Osterfeld will once again bring a fantastic family musical full of adventure and humor to the stage in the Great Hall in January 2026, which, with its spirited music full of catchy tunes, revives the Berlin of the 1920s. "Parole Emil!" is a song that one will be humming for a long time after the theater visit!
Music: Marc Schubring, Book and lyrics: Wolfgang Adenberg
© Performance rights with the Bühnenverlag Weitendorf, Hamburg

Recommended from 6 years old.

Musical direction: Salome Tendies; Direction: Bettina Lell & Alex Weber; Choreography: Sabrina Böhm & Sabine Roser; Costumes: Ines Szuck
Production of the Kulturhaus Osterfeld in cooperation with the Choir Academy Pforzheim and Kultur im Osterfeld e.V.
by Erich Kästner
© Performance rights with the Bühnenverlag Weitendorf, Hamburg

Foyer opening: 18:00

+++ for the last time at the puppet theater Mottenkäfig + + +

Behind the scenes of a puppet stage
A backstage comedy with depths

for adults aged 18 and over! (100 min with intermission)

The Kasper ensemble stands on the brink:
Their old plays are no longer in demand, they themselves seem out of time.
Gretel, who holds the ensemble together in the background, pragmatically demands change from Kasper. A new play is needed!

Sensational for the masses and due to demographic change for adults. She introduces the bestseller "Fifty Shades...". Kasper blocks it.

He does not want to change. Especially since things with Gretel aren’t flowing as they used to and he senses relationship work ahead. Gretel desperately searches for solutions and sets off on a journey to the underworld... to hell in the bunk room.

Meanwhile, robbers, Seppel, and crocodile start a revolt at home. The now demented grandmother is frightened by changes and flees into the safety of simple, right-wing populist truths. She demands the return of the German mother cake on stage. The ensemble is now missing all female characters, and the disintegration continues...

The potpourri of German prototypes collides with the 21st century.

Admission: approx. 15 minutes before the start

From now on, there is also the opportunity for individuals to be guided behind the scenes of the theater. Each 3rd Saturday of the month, we will take you into the rooms and corridors that are otherwise reserved for the staff. Come with us on the journey!

Attention: The number of participants is limited, so secure your tickets in time.

sold out

With his program "Tierische Kinderdisco," children's songwriter Volker Rosin gets all children (and parents too) singing and dancing. With his 40 years of stage experience, he has already musically thrilled several generations. Recently, he received the esteemed Music Author Award from GEMA in the category of "Lyricist for Children’s Songs." More than 6 million recordings attest to his success with his young audience and make him one of the most successful children's artists in Germany.

In his show, there is singing, dancing, hopping, and stomping. Participation is always encouraged. Of course, he has his animal super hits "Das singende Känguru," "Baby Hai," and "Der Gorilla mit der Sonnenbrille" with him. Furthermore, the beloved classics "Tanz mit der Gans," "Hoppelhase Hans," and "Das Lied über mich" are also a must.

During his animal children's disco party, hits follow one after another. No body part stays still, and some children are even allowed on stage to sing personally with Volker Rosin. Many parents have grown up with Volker Rosin's songs and enjoy the music from their childhood. In the finale, the audience can look forward to "Ki.Ka Tanzalarm" and the indestructible kids version of "Mama Laudaaa." His encouragement song "So wie du bist" is the emotional highlight of the program.

What makes Volker Rosin so distinctive? His joy in interacting with the children is always palpable and authentic. Even after over 40 years, his live program is always spontaneous – and always at eye level with the little concert guests. It is a matter of course for him to be available for autograph requests and photos among his little fans after his concert.

In TV and social media, Volker Rosin proves his reputation as an excellent children's songwriter who energizes his audience with imaginative lyrics and catchy melodies. He can regularly be seen in the show "Ki.Ka Tanzalarm" (which he co-created). His little fans also know him from "Immer wieder sonntags" and his show "Lasst uns Freunde sein" (Ki.Ka). Some of his most beautiful songs have been filmed for "Die Sendung mit der Maus." Furthermore, he appeared in the Guinness World Records with the largest children's choir in the world and had respectable chart successes with his hits "Känguru Dance" and "Hoppelhase Hans."

Over 600 million YouTube clicks, 200 million streams, and 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify further demonstrate his popularity and the digital reach of his songs. On TikTok, he is celebrated as a "legend" and "childhood hero" with over 130,000 followers and 20 million video views.

Entry: 2 PM Room: Forum

What was planned as a cozy family dinner completely spirals out of control when the expectant father announces what his son will be named. In the witty comedy "Der Vorname," prejudices, vanities, and old conflicts are revealed – incisively, wickedly, and truly enjoyably. A satire on the pitfalls of communication and the art of cultivated misunderstanding.

Hall opening: 7:15 PM

What was planned as a cozy family dinner completely spirals out of control when the expectant father announces the name of his son. In the sparkling comedy "Der Vorname," prejudices, egos, and old conflicts are revealed – pointed, wicked, and truly delightful. A satire about the pitfalls of communication and the art of refined misunderstanding.

Saal Entry: 3:45 PM

Libretto by Victor Léon and Heinrich von Waldberg
based on the play “Die Rosa-Dominos” by Alfred-Charlemagne Delacour and Alfred Hennequin

“Come with me to the Chambre séparée” – with this line, all operetta fans immediately have a melody in their heads. But from which work does the waltz duet come? Come with us to Richard Heuberger's “Opernball”! The elegant melodies and the storyline have everything that characterizes a good Viennese operetta. In the narrated Séparée of the opera ball, the married friends Georges and Paul anticipate an exciting romantic adventure with two unknown ladies. However, they have not counted on their wives Angèle and Marguérite; they send anonymous love letters to each other’s husbands, stating that they will wear rose-colored, calf-length cloaks with hoods, called dominos, as a sign of recognition at the masked ball. What the masked ladies are unaware of is that the maid Hortense also wants to have fun at the opera ball and wraps herself in a pink domino as well! Thus, a spicy game of confusion unfolds, in which a disguised retiree, a marine cadet, and a singer also take part.
Richard Heuberger became instantly famous with the “Opernball” in 1898 in Vienna, and his masterpiece was even filmed five times.

What to do with things that are just collecting dust at home and no one needs anyway? Exactly: Bring them to Tauschrausch – The Impro-Comedy. In this new impro-comedy format, Mirjam Woggon, Jakob Nacken, and Helge Thun create the craziest stories from the audience's unused everyday objects. Sometimes in scene, sketch, or even song form, depending on the mood. In any case, it’s guaranteed to be hilarious fun.

Foyer opening: 6 PM

A puppet show for children aged 5 and up.
Based on the well-known children's books by Astrid Lindgren (55 min)

Michel, five years old and strong as a little bull, lived on the Katthult farm in Lönneberga. Here there were chickens and pigs, horses and cows, and a dog, but what there was most of all, was this Michel!
With his round blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair, one could mistake him for an angel - when he was sleeping, but when he was not sleeping, he had more mischief in his head than any other boy in all of Lönneberga or all of Sweden or perhaps even in the whole world.

It tells of three days in the life of Michel Svensson:

Tuesday, May 22,
when Michel stuck his head in the soup bowl

Sunday, June 13,
when Michel made three brave attempts to pull Lina's molar and then painted little Ida completely blue

Sunday, November 14,
when Michel locked his father in the woodshed

Admission: about 15 minutes before the start

A puppet show for children aged 5 and up.
Based on the well-known children's books by Astrid Lindgren (55 min)

Michel, five years old and strong as a little bull, lived on the Katthult farm in Lönneberga. Here there were chickens and pigs, horses and cows, and a dog, but what there was most of all, was this Michel!
With his round blue eyes and fluffy blonde hair, one could mistake him for an angel - when he was sleeping, but when he was not sleeping, he had more mischief in his head than any other boy in all of Lönneberga or all of Sweden or perhaps even in the whole world.

It tells of three days in the life of Michel Svensson:

Tuesday, May 22,
when Michel stuck his head in the soup bowl

Sunday, June 13,
when Michel made three brave attempts to pull Lina's molar and then painted little Ida completely blue

Sunday, November 14,
when Michel locked his father in the woodshed

Admission: about 15 minutes before the start

Sunday, March 15, 2026, 7:00 PM
6:00 PM: Concert introduction with Chief Conductor Douglas Bostock

Southwest German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim
Douglas Bostock, Conductor

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643): Orfeo. Sinfonia e Ritornelli
Henry Purcell (1659-1695): The Gordian Knot Untied
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767): Don Quichotte Suite TWV 55:G10
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759): Concerto grosso d-Moll op. 6/10 HWV 328
Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687): Le triomphe de l’amour – Ballet Suite

Over 100 years ago, an unparalleled renaissance of the Baroque began – composers were rediscovered, old manuscripts were newly published, Baroque works were arranged – and intense debates were fought over what “true Baroque” should sound like.
In the process, the “correct” sound image has continuously evolved to today’s “historical performance practice.” Nevertheless, even today, we do not know how Baroque music originally sounded. Thus, this program undertakes the exciting attempt to recap how the various lenses through which old music has been read, heard, and felt interpreted it. The Orfeo. Sinfonia e Ritornelli of the immortal Claudio Monteverdi aids this endeavor – heard through the lens of its arranger and overall editor Gian Francesco Malipiero.
We will hear Purcell’s Suite The Gordian Knot Untied, colored by Gustav Holst’s sound imagination, and Telemann’s Suite Don Quichotte in the style of the string pope Gustav Lenzewski.
Handel and a Concerto grosso must not be missed, and to conclude, we have Lully’s Ballet Suite Le triomphe de l’amour in the arrangement of the former director of the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim, Paul Angerer, adding a bit of orchestral history for free.

This concert evening does not rely on external soloists: Individual members of the Southwest German Chamber Orchestra and the harpsichordist showcase their skill and virtuosity in the solo passages – for example, in Handel’s Concerto Grosso.

Concert introduction: 6:00 PM

After the children's book by O. Preußler for audiences aged 4 and up (50 min)

Once on Walpurgis Night to dance with the great witches on the Blocksberg...
That would be wonderful! But unfortunately, the little witch is only one hundred and twenty-seven years old and therefore still too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously by the great witches. However, the high witch wants to give her a chance and sets a condition: If she can prove to the witch council by the next Walpurgis Night that she has become a “good witch,” she will be allowed to join in. And thus begins an exciting whirlwind!

Admission about 15 minutes before start

Experience one of the most popular and sought-after authors in Germany.
In his book “Das geheime Leben der Deutschen,” Wladimir Kaminer takes you into his stories about the secret life of the Germans and opens your eyes to completely unknown sides of the country and its people.

Entrance: 6 PM

based on Otfried Preußler for audiences aged 3 and up (45 min)

Hörbe, the little man with a big hat, enjoys life, and when the sun shines through the brush pile into the room, he thinks to himself: “What a beautiful day! Way too lovely to be making lingonberry jam…”

So, he puts on his big hat and sets off on a journey. Off into the big wide world. There’s so much to experience. And sometimes, where you least expect it, you might even find a friend. The best and funniest friend you could ever wish for.

Doors open about 15 minutes before the start

Advance ticket sales for groups through our ticket office - 07231/463234 - info@mottenkaefig.de

25 years of EURE MÜTTER – and only those who celebrate live are truly there!

With "Perlen vor die Säue," the three gentlemen in black trousers present the ultimate comedy show. 25 years in the making, finally on stage: The BEST OF EURE MÜTTER! Since the turn of the millennium, the legendary trio has delivered one show after another. It's absolutely crazy how many unforgettable songs and sketches the comedy dream team of Andi Kraus, Don Svezia, and Matze Weinmann has put on stage over two and a half decades. Their long-standing friendship has always been an invisible superpower behind every punchline. After several thousand performances in Germany and abroad before many tens of thousands of spectators and over 70 million clicks on YouTube, they are now cramming the absolute highlights of their career into this BEST OF.

The result is a two-hour anniversary celebration with "I’m rolling on the floor laughing!" guarantee from the first to the last second – aside from a short break in the second half, during which Don simply shows his scars for a few minutes. The journey through a quarter of a century of Mother Entertainment takes the audience to exciting places: to the medieval market, into the office of GEMA, in front of the ladies' restroom, and onto the ship of Captain Laminiergerät. Throughout, the audience is safely guided by the comedy act that places more value on personal care than any other – here, you can be sure that the sack is freshly shaved and the hair is world-class washed.

Anyone who has already experienced EURE MÜTTER live can hardly wait to attend this intergenerational spectacle once again. And for those who have only known the three from the internet, now is the chance to enjoy them live and in color, featuring the hottest numbers they have ever written – along with a few surprises...

Foyer opening: 7 PM

English translation of the text:

Translated by Valerie Melichar

Nora is the perfect wife and mother. She is beautiful, aware of her duties, her world runs along regulated paths and patterns. But when a secret from her past catches up with her, Nora's well-ordered family life is threatened to shatter into a thousand pieces. Over the course of three days, she must fight – or lose everything. And who knows? Perhaps in the end, a new door will even open for her.
At the world premiere in 1879 in Copenhagen, Henrik Ibsen's play caused a major scandal. When Nora slammed the door of her "dollhouse" behind her at the end, "the whole house shook," as the playwright colleague August Strindberg later wrote. Scottish author Stef Smith ("Girl in the Machine") tells Nora's story not just once, but three times: in 1918 during the fight for women's suffrage, in 1968 during the social upheavals of the "Swinging Sixties," and in our present day. And she poses the question: How far have we really come in the last hundred years regarding the issues of emancipation and gender relationships?
After the acclaimed production of "Girl in the Machine" two seasons ago at the Podium, Stef Smith offered her 2019 Glasgow world premiere adaptation of Ibsen to the Theater Pforzheim for its German-speaking premiere.

Introduction to the work by the dramaturgy 20 minutes before the start of the performance in the foyer.

Thousands of fans of Stevens, who is still unforgettable today with his super hits like "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken," or "Peace Train," celebrate the music of the icon.
"I close my eyes and suddenly Cat Stevens is on stage" - that's what you hear from excited audience members of the "Cat Stevens Tribute Show" featuring singer Patrick Snow. Thousands of fans of Stevens, who is still unforgettable today with his super hits like "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken," or "Peace Train," celebrate the music of the icon when Snow and his excellent musicians bring it to the concert halls of Europe.

The young singer, who is now regarded as the most famous and successful Cat Stevens interpreter worldwide, manages to captivate the audience with the utmost vocal authenticity and a lot of musical feeling, transporting them back to the 1970s in a unique way. These are magical moments that occur on stage, in a sensational resemblance to the original.

"Cat Stevens has captured my heart since I heard him sing his wonderful song 'Father And Son' together with Ronan Keating. To this day, it is one of the songs of my life," says Patrick Snow, whose deep respect and love for Stevens is clearly visible throughout the concert.

Foyer opening: 7 PM

His name could belong to a main character in a Broadway musical. His figure seems borrowed from a Jules Verne novel. And he himself is a "gentle giant" with his 1.95 meter height and his approachable, attentive, and loving demeanor. As a "mad professor," Miles Pitwell presents a nostalgic magic show.

Ornate tables, theatrical lighting, and his elegant appearance ensure that the audience is transported back to a bygone era. The multiple award-winning performer does not show classic card tricks, but rather mostly wonders from his own workshop of inventions.

During his 90-minute show, the professor takes on two different characters, inspired by the success story of Jekyll and Hyde. This show is mystical, theatrical, a bit creepy, but above all, magical!

Foyer Opening: 7 PM

Book by Tom O’Horgan, freely adapted from excerpts of the Christian Gospels, lyrics by Tim Rice, German version by Timothy Roller (2023)

Mobilization of the masses, betrayal, and slander: In Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar," the highly dramatic last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth are depicted. Tom O’Horgan's book highlights the political aspect of the narrative. What motives drive the Pharisees to accuse Jesus? Why does the Roman governor Pilate sign the death warrant? The focus of the story is not on the man from Nazareth, but on Judas, who views Jesus' attitude towards the Roman occupation as too passive. His betrayal of the religious movement, Jesus' arrest, and execution are skillfully condensed dramaturgically, and O’Horgan and Rice incorporate numerous allusions to life in the USA during the Nixon presidency. The Passion narrative gains further, surprising facets through the revolutionary tones of the 1960s.
Webber developed the rock opera from previously released individual songs. The recording of the title song was released in 1969, and the celebrated world premiere took place in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York, a former cinema that even became a church in 1991. "Jesus Christ Superstar" ran for over eight years in London’s West End, making the musical one of the most successful productions in the British metropolis.