Theatre am Rand

In the tiny village of Zollbrücke, on the eastern edge of Germany, directly on the River Oder, accordionist Tobias Morgenstern and actor Thomas Rühmann run an unusual theatre. The house is as original as its occupants. It has no right angles, instead there is a solar tower on massive oak trunks and simple wooden benches for 200 spectators. The back wall can be opened up so that nature can play along, with breath-taking sunsets, galloping horses behind the stage and swallows in the audience. The stage presents professional art, mainly plays based on literary models, as well as high-class jazz concerts. In the summer, German and Polish singers and songwriters come together for the “Liederlauschen am Rand” (“Listening to Songs on the Edge”) festival. Current social issues are discussed in the “Free Word - Free Music” series. A characteristic feature is the method of payment. It is an “entrance fee upon exit”: visitors decide for themselves how much a given performance was worth to them.