When does the performance start?

The performance starts on 12.09.2026 at 20:00.

Where does the piece take place?

It takes place in the Orgelfabrik Hall in Karlsruhe, Amthausstr. 19, 76227 Karlsruhe.

What is the admission price?

The admission is 7 euros per person.

Is the Orgelfabrik Hall accessible for people with disabilities?

Yes, the hall on the ground floor is accessible via a disabled lift.

Are there tips for directions and parking?

Access is good via the Weiherhof underground garage; according to the city of Karlsruhe, there is a direct stairway to the Orgelfabrik and a favorable evening tariff.

Is the performance suitable for an audience interested in Dickens?

Yes, the play draws on motifs from the Dickens universe and combines them with a hauntingly grotesque staging.

Secrets, inheritance and dark poetry: Karlsruhe experiences theater magic in the organ factory

Name: IT WAS TWENTY TO NINE
Start: 2026-09-12T22:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-09-13T00:00:00+02:00
Location: Orgelfabrik Halle

A summer evening filled with intrigues, secrets, and eerily great emotions

With IT WAS TWENTY TO NINE, the theater in the organ factory in Karlsruhe opens a stage window into a mysterious family world: Miss Havisham, Estella, the Pockets, the young Philip, and the opaque lawyer Mr. Jaggers revolve around inheritance, power, and a past that cannot find peace. The staging by Gabriele Michel and Franco Rosa connects to Charles Dickens and condenses the material into an evening that shimmers between grotesque humor, tension, and dark poetry.

When time stands still

The almost decayed house becomes a mental landscape: stopped clocks, locked rooms, a birthday as a ritual of repression. This constellation bears the typical handwriting of the theater in the organ factory, which has been bringing self-written pieces to the stage with a hauntingly grotesque approach for decades. Here, not just stories are told; an atmospheric space is built where the theatrical atmosphere is just as important as the plot itself.

Dramaturgy between inheritance drama and social satire

The source material from the Dickens universe provides more than a hint of crime. It raises questions about possession, greed, family ties, and social masquerade. This is where the strength of this advance reporting lies: The audience can look forward to a staging that transforms the familiar motif of inheritance into a lively chamber play of abysses. The characters act like chess pieces in a room where every glance can trigger a new twist.

Set design, light, and acting as a tension machine

In the organ factory, the material unfolds in a hall with a special character. The space supports that mix of closeness and eeriness that shapes a powerful stage experience. Lighting moods, costumed figures, and precise acting make the events appear as if under a magnifying glass. Those who love theater as a living art form will find a performance here that works with tension, wit, and dark charm.

A theater evening with echo

IT WAS TWENTY TO NINE promises no pleasing nostalgia, but a clever, sensually charged theater evening. Those curious about a mix of family secrets, inheritance drama, and grotesque comedy should experience this production live. Especially in Karlsruhe, the material unfolds the effect for which theater is made: immediate presence, unpredictable audience reactions, and the magic of an evening that resonates long after.