180 CultureShock! Austria
operated in conjunction with the Burgtheater and is also
highly respected. The Volkstheater and Theater in der
Josefstadt have a rich and long history performing great
works in German.
A musical is easier to enjoy if your knowledge of German
is limited. The Theater an der Wien has a very impressive
history. Beethoven’s Fidelio premiered here in 1805. Johann
Strauss’s die Fledermaus and Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow
also premiered here, as did many of Johann Nestroy’s pieces.
Today, however, the theatre is dedicated to staging musicals.
More musicals can be seen at the Raimundtheater, also
located in the 6th district. The Ronacher presents musicals
and more abstract shows.Cabaret
Not only must your German be good, but your Viennese
dialect as well, if you want to enjoy Vienna’s cabarets. These
shows, which comprise satirical sketches relating to a theme
or a current political situation, offset by the occasional song-
and-dance number, are popular among Viennese. Politicians
are often the butt of the jokes, but they can be seen in the
audience laughing with the rest.English-language Theatre
If you enjoy plays but lack the German facility to attend
one of these theatres, there are three English-language
theatres in Vienna. The English Theatre in the 8th district
stages plays with professional American and British actors.
Two smaller theatres in the 9th district, the International
Theatre and Fundus, also give performances in English.
There is a relatively new group of talented actors from
the Vienna theatre project which was founded in 2002 to
facilitate high-quality English-language theatre production
at different locations in Vienna. “They aim to integrate art
into the community, creating a dialogue between the artist
and the audience.”Cinema
Austria has produced some good film-makers. Perhaps the