Final report 2015

Due to the renovation of the Quaibrücke, the Zürcher Theater Spektakel took place one week earlier this year. With 10 out of 18 festival days during the school holidays, it was to be seen how this would effect the festival, the advance booking and the number of spectators. Yet, venturing into the new and unknown is a central element of the 36-year success story of the Theater Spektakel. With 120 000 visitors, 26 750 spectators attending one of the shows and an average capacity of 86% this year's edition clearly shows: The crucial factors for success are not the date but the programme and the weather

 The programme 2015 focussed on «power and body» and displayed a great artistic variety and a number of cross-genre productions which were positively received by the audience and the critics.

Eight solos by up-and-coming performers from Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Mideast and Canada presented during the fourth edition of «Short Pieces» promised an esthetically and artistically varied and interesting journey of discovery. This festival within the festival, also popular with a younger audience, has established itself as an attractive, high-quality platform for the international performance scene.

The festival audience has again confirmed its openness: Popular were not only the circus shows and the concerts on the lakeside stage but also shows by artists visiting Zurich for the first time.

Four premieres, two European premieres and a series of shows opening shortly before the beginning of the festival illustrate the festival directors' readiness to walk off the beaten track and to take risks. We are pleased to note that the audience followed with curiosity. This positive reception demonstrates the status of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel as a platform for international productions.

Due to the preponement of the festival the offer for families and children was expanded. This included the the carefully curated programme on the Zentral Stage, the actual linchpin of the festival.

The weather posed several challenges this year: With very hot days of up to 35 C and consequently heated up venues, a temperature drop of 20 degrees followed by squalls and torrential rain, the weather was as varied as the festival programme.

Final report 2015 extended version