Odeon Theater – small theatres in Vienna

Established in 1988, the Odeon theatre was named after the Ancient Greek word ‘Odeon’ which refers to buildings built for music, just like many well-known ancient theatres around Europe. Located in the 2nd district, this theatre’s stage is home to the former Great Hall of the Stock exchange for agricultural products. Yep, who would have thought!

This room was built in the 1880s and was heavily damaged by a fire during the Second World War. Charred parts of the interior and walls were kept intentionally to give the Odeon a special vibe and keep its history for its 300 potential visitors. What makes it even more special is the fact that they hardly ever work with anything but original productions. Instead, they create unique plays together in the in-house ensemble, with lots of freestyle improvisation and co-creation happening during rehearsals. Instead of focusing on words, the very international crew of the theatre ensemble, Serapions Ensemble, performs what they call, ‘visual poetry.’ Meaning the actors express themselves through movement and body language. This makes every performance universally understandable, making this a theatre for anyone and everyone. Check out the program, here.