{"id":66138,"date":"2023-12-04T12:42:04","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T11:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=66138"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:15:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T13:15:23","slug":"open-house-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/theaters\/open-house-theatre\/","title":{"rendered":"Open House Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheatresmall.jpg\" alt=\"Cover of a play\" class=\"wp-image-66139\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheatresmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheatresmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Traditional Vienna experiences typically involve coffee, cake, or classical music. But also time travel back to Victorian London, courtesy of Open House Theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>English-language touring company based in Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Several productions each year\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From classic to contemporary works<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>A Christmas Carol<\/em> an annual regular<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plays a wider cultural role in the city, too<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Theater\" rel=\"sponsored\">concert experience<\/a>* for your Vienna trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/activities\/theatres-cinemas\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1664\">Cinemas &amp; Theatre in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open by name &amp; nature<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater1.jpg\" alt=\"Entrance to a theater\" class=\"wp-image-66406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The group performed <em>A Christmas Carol<\/em> here in 2023, but took the production to Theater Spielraum in 2024 and 2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vienna has many pleasures to tempt visitors at Christmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But while you open a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/roastchestnuts\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"63\">roast chestnut<\/a> or eye up some chocolate-covered monstrosity at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/christmas-markets\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1680\">seasonal market<\/a>, you might also consider an English-language production of <em>A Christmas Carol<\/em> by Charles Dickens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stage adaptation was an annual stalwart of Vienna&#8217;s International Theatre, but that institution closed for good back in 2012. Fortunately for us, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openhousetheatre.at\/\">Open House Theatre<\/a> took up the tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2025 edition of <em>A Christmas Carol<\/em>, for example, runs on many days across the period December 10th to 23rd in Theater Spielraum in Vienna&#8217;s 7th district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My wife and I took in the 2023 show and enjoyed a fun, relaxed evening of the kind you really need at this time of year (with the bonus of punch and mince pies in the interval). A distinct aura of positivity emanated from the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dickens&#8217; famous work is just one of the delights this independent touring company has to offer: they put on several public productions each year in and around Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"440\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/charlesdickens.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Charles Dickens\" class=\"wp-image-65829\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/charlesdickens.jpg 440w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/charlesdickens-290x300.jpg 290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(1865 photo of Charles Dickens taken by Charles Jacotin; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 146770; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I popped into the play <em>Constellations<\/em> by Nick Payne in October 2025, for example. It made quite an impact, not least due to the consummate performances by the two actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The diverse and self-funded company&#8217;s choice of productions follows an annual motto and a remit to pick up &#8220;stories worth telling&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, the genre etc. is flexible, leading to an eclectic mix that might vary from <em>Romeo and Juliet<\/em> to a one-man retelling of <em>Dracula<\/em>, a reimagined classic or an original work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;As long as it&#8217;s a good story,&#8221; to quote Robert G. Neumayr, the then Chair of the Board, when I chatted with him over coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Dickens would no doubt approve. After all, as he wrote in <em>A Christmas Carol<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u2026there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More than theatre<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater2.jpg\" alt=\"Window advertisement for A Christmas Carol\" class=\"wp-image-66407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/openhousetheater2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A story definitely worth telling)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although its productions will probably interest visitors most, Open House has a wider remit. It acts as an intermediary, network and platform, for example, offering support for creative endeavours and collaborations across fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The theatre also plays a role in English language education, taking short, interactive productions to local schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Less educational, perhaps, but possibly more fun are regular staged live readings of well-known film scripts. With an (entirely optional) drinking game thrown in. So you might enjoy Austin Powers with a suitable cocktail (or just a nice cup of tea).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re in town and in search of some English-language theatrical culture, do take a look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.openhousetheatre.at\/\">performance schedule<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you need further tips on what you might do in the evening, I have some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/evening\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"71635\">other suggestions<\/a> for you, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An English-language theatrical touring company based in Vienna and famous for its annual production of A Christmas Carol<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66139,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-66138","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-theaters","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66138"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86728,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66138\/revisions\/86728"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66138"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66138"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}