Basel takes kids' theater seriously, with marionettes in a cellar beside the Minster and Switzerland's first children's theater, where kids act for kids. Most shows are in Swiss German, so a puppet show or a fairy tale everyone already knows is the easiest way in. Here's what we checked, from the Münsterplatz marionettes to story time in languages other than German at the JUKIBU library.
Basel's oldest cellar theater, founded in 1943, plays in the vaulted Zehntenkeller beside Basel Minster. Its family program turns children's books and fairy tales into shows with marionettes and table puppets, from a young Scottish ghost learning to scare to The Wizard of Oz with flying monkeys.
A separate evening program of plays and talks is aimed at adults.
Basler Kindertheater has staged plays since 1970, and every part is played by children and teenagers. It was the first children's theater in Switzerland. Each season brings four productions of fairy tales and adventure stories, such as Der Räuber Hotzenplotz and Schneewittchen, with full costumes and stage sets.
The Fauteuil-Märchenbühne is the Theater Fauteuil's own fairy-tale musical, staged every winter since 1965 in its small hall on Spalenberg. Each season brings one new story with costumes, detailed sets and songs; past shows include Rumpelstilzchen, Frau Holle and Räuber Hotzenplotz.
This season's show is Dschungelbuech, a Jungle Book version by Kamil Krejci with music by Alexius Tschallener. It is performed in Swiss German dialect.
Vorstadttheater Basel stages professional, contemporary theater for children and adults together, inside the Gemeindehaus Oekolampad. Its own ensemble makes one or two new plays a year and runs each for about two months.
Between those runs, touring guest companies take the stage, from puppet and storytelling shows for preschoolers to plays for older kids that take on big themes like growing up and growing old.
Theater Arlecchino has staged shows for kids and families since 1997, and has played at its Walkeweg home by St. Jakob since 2015. The program mixes its own productions with guest shows: fairy tales, classics such as a kids' Magic Flute set to Mozart's melodies, concerts, and the Fasnachtsbändeli comedy before Fasnacht. Kids watch from benches or chairs, and the theater bar sells drinks, cake and ice cream.
JUKIBU is the library of many languages. Children and teens find books, audiobooks and films in more than 50 languages, from Afrikaans to Vietnamese, while the adult shelves hold German and English titles.
It runs storytimes and workshops for kids in different languages, plus readings from many cultures. There are PC workstations, Wi-Fi, a copier and step-free access.
Basel takes kids' theater seriously, with marionettes in a cellar beside the Minster and Switzerland's first children's theater, where kids act for kids. Most shows are in Swiss German, so a puppet show or a fairy tale everyone already knows is the easiest way in. Here's what we checked, from the Münsterplatz marionettes to story time in languages other than German at the JUKIBU library.
Basel's oldest cellar theater, founded in 1943, plays in the vaulted Zehntenkeller beside Basel Minster. Its family program turns children's books and fairy tales into shows with marionettes and table puppets, from a young Scottish ghost learning to scare to The Wizard of Oz with flying monkeys.
A separate evening program of plays and talks is aimed at adults.
Basler Kindertheater has staged plays since 1970, and every part is played by children and teenagers. It was the first children's theater in Switzerland. Each season brings four productions of fairy tales and adventure stories, such as Der Räuber Hotzenplotz and Schneewittchen, with full costumes and stage sets.
The Fauteuil-Märchenbühne is the Theater Fauteuil's own fairy-tale musical, staged every winter since 1965 in its small hall on Spalenberg. Each season brings one new story with costumes, detailed sets and songs; past shows include Rumpelstilzchen, Frau Holle and Räuber Hotzenplotz.
This season's show is Dschungelbuech, a Jungle Book version by Kamil Krejci with music by Alexius Tschallener. It is performed in Swiss German dialect.
Vorstadttheater Basel stages professional, contemporary theater for children and adults together, inside the Gemeindehaus Oekolampad. Its own ensemble makes one or two new plays a year and runs each for about two months.
Between those runs, touring guest companies take the stage, from puppet and storytelling shows for preschoolers to plays for older kids that take on big themes like growing up and growing old.
Theater Arlecchino has staged shows for kids and families since 1997, and has played at its Walkeweg home by St. Jakob since 2015. The program mixes its own productions with guest shows: fairy tales, classics such as a kids' Magic Flute set to Mozart's melodies, concerts, and the Fasnachtsbändeli comedy before Fasnacht. Kids watch from benches or chairs, and the theater bar sells drinks, cake and ice cream.
JUKIBU is the library of many languages. Children and teens find books, audiobooks and films in more than 50 languages, from Afrikaans to Vietnamese, while the adult shelves hold German and English titles.
It runs storytimes and workshops for kids in different languages, plus readings from many cultures. There are PC workstations, Wi-Fi, a copier and step-free access.
