WELCOME TO SCARYLAND
SCHIFFBAU
08.11.2026
Just after Halloween, things are getting spooky at the Schiffbau: in keeping with the theme of our anniversary season, “Ghosts and Spirits”, Schauspielhaus Zürich will transform into Scaryland on Sunday, 8 November, from 10 am to 9 pm. Admission is free, and there’s something for all ages.
Across the Schiffbau’s venues, as well as at Moods and LaSalle, a wonderfully spooky and varied programme awaits. In the morning, young and old can take to the floor on roller skates at the GHOST RIDE DISCO in the Schiffbau Halle. The day continues with spooky stories and readings, a quiz show, concerts, dance and acting workshops, as well as special editions of our discussion formats KUNST ALS EXIL and IMMER WIEDER SONNTAG. Throughout the day, there will be plenty to see, hear, try out and discover.
On the GHOST WALKS, you’ll delve into the Schauspielhaus’s fascinating hundred-year history, visit its workshops and quite literally go behind the scenes. Who knows – you might even encounter a ghost or two from times long past.
For the grand finale, the Schauspielhaus ensemble gazes into the crystal ball: at our ABO EXTRA preview event, they’ll present excerpts from upcoming premieres and programme highlights over the weeks ahead.
GHOST RIDE DISCO
Lace up your roller skates, grab your ghostly gang and roll onto the spookiest, grooviest stage at the Schiffbau Festival! From 10 am to 1 pm, skaters young and old can show off their moves on wheels. Not sure how? No problem: the ROLLIPOP roller-skating school and entertainment crew will be on hand with tips and tricks for beginners and pros alike! And there’ll be a little dance surprise, too! Brave souls can look forward to a mix of disco sounds from DJ Yuvvi, spine-tingling thrills and plenty of fun on wheels. Roller skates will be available to hire on site!
10 am–1 pm
SCHIFFBAU HALLE
GHOST WALK
A Reading for Story Lovers Ages 6 and Up
Take a look behind the scenes! This varied tour takes you to the places where all the work hidden from the audience happens. This is where sets are painted, monologues rehearsed and costumes sewn. Join us on a journey through the Schiffbau and its eventful history – into hidden corners and perhaps even an encounter with a ghost or two!
10.15–11.15 am
11.30 am–12.30 pm
1–2 pm
2.30–3.30 pm
4–5 pm
Meeting point: FOYER
DRAMA GAMES
Oh, you just want to play? Perfect – so do we. On stage, in life, in society, and preferably with you. In DRAMA GAMES, the dramaturgy team invites everyone aged 10 and over to take part in a variety of group games that call for skill, quick thinking and a little bit of luck.
2:00–2:45 p.m.
4:00–4:45 p.m.
FOYER
ABO EXTRA
The popular preview format ABO EXTRA is, of course, an essential part of this year’s Schiffbau Festival. Through scenes, readings and conversations, we’ll conjure up the productions of tomorrow. Look forward to a first glimpse of our family production THE LITTLE PRINCE, the world of conspiracy theories in MAGIC KINGDOM and the moving story of twins in THE NOTEBOOK. We’ll also be presenting previews of THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER, ARCHIVES OF FEELINGS, MARY STUART, WHO’S AFRAID OF EMILIA GALOTTI? and THE MISER.
And don’t be afraid – non-subscribers are more than welcome too.
6–7.20 pm
SCHIFFBAU HALLE
GEISTERHAFTE VORLESESTUNDE
A Reading for Story Lovers Ages 6 and Up
Ghosts, magical creatures and enchanted worlds: this storytime promises mystery, magic and plenty of imagination. Markus Scheumann reads spooky and enchanting tales aloud. Make yourselves comfortable and enter a world of little shivers, great adventures and wondrous encounters.
10–10.30 am
12–12.30 pm
MATCHBOX
FAMILY CONCERT: LOS DOS FÜR FAMILIEN
“The swamp is vast, wet, untameable and utterly endless.”
They’re always there. When the swamp gets too wet, the steppe too dusty, the asphalt too hot. They rock and rasp like a handful of alligators, shifting between raw swamp blues and psychedelic influences. On stage, they are free, surrendering to blind trust as they rumble through primal sounds inspired by the Mississippi Delta. Oaxaca (MX), New Orleans (LA), Istanbul (TR) and Grindelwald (CH) are just some of the places that have shaped the sound of LOS DOS. Wherever they play, no ear is left dry...
11 am–12 noon
moods
Free tickets via moods
TRUE OR FALSE
A quiz show for ages 8+
A house full of haunting ghosts, a forest where snarling werewolves awaken, a dark mountain lake with a monstrous creature lurking in its depths. Some stories are simply too spooky to be true. Or are they?
TRUE OR FALSE is a spine-tingling quiz show featuring true stories, outrageous fibs and everything in between. Can you figure out what really happened and what was completely made up? Quizmasters Yvon Jansen and Rahel Hubacher will put you to the test.
For everyone who loves solving puzzles, hearing stories and getting a little spooked.
11–11.30 am
2.30–3 pm
MATCHBOX
DIE DREI ??? UND DAS GEHEIMNIS DER DIVA
A musical reading for crime fans aged 10+
An extremely mysterious case brings the three detectives from Rocky Beach to the theatre, where strange things seem to be going on. What dark secrets are lurking behind the scenes? What role does the mysterious diva play? And who is behind the eerie events at the theatre?
In a reading with music and sound effects, three members of the Schauspielhaus Zürich ensemble bring Justus Jonas, Peter Shaw and Bob Andrews to the Matchbox. Together with the Three Investigators, we follow the clues and plunge straight into a puzzling case.
1–1.50 pm
MATCHBOX
CONCERT «UNTER WASSER»
A concert by Lorena Handschin
As ensemble member Lorena Handschin has already shown in her solo performance ICH ERWARTE DIE ANKUNFT DES TEUFELS, her heart beats not only for acting, but for music too. This year saw the release of her very first EP, Unter Wasser: an energetic mix of indie pop, electro-punk and Neue Deutsche Welle. With plenty of energy, infectious good humour and biting lyrics, Lorena sings about love – but also about the pitfalls of patriarchy.
At the SCHIFFBAUFEST, the actress and her band will now play their first concert of their own at Schauspielhaus Zürich – a true ray of sunshine in the middle of November.
4–5 pm
MATCHBOX
ABRACADABRA
A dance workshop with Pınar Karabulut
Help, someone’s finally put on your favourite Lady Gaga song again! If, just this once, you don’t want to hide behind your spritzer but would rather take over the dance floor in style, then come along to our dance workshop. Co-Artistic Director Pınar Karabulut will show you the best moves from her choreography—the very moves she’s already used to get the entire forest shaking in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM.
11 am–12 noon
PROBEBÜHNE 4
OPEN ACTING WORKSHOP – SPOOKY EDITION
How can a movement suddenly become eerie? How can we use our bodies to create suspense, scare others or transform ourselves into unsettling characters?
In the Open Acting Workshop, members of the ensemble offer insights into their craft and invite you to join in and experiment. This time, things are getting spooky: together with Mervan Ükmez, we’ll explore how we can use our bodies to create eerie characters, movements and moments.
No previous experience is required – just curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Ages 16+.
12:30–1:30 p.m.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
PROBEBÜHNE 4
DIE MORDE DES HERRN ABC
By Agatha Christie
A reading for ages 12+
Schauspielhaus Zürich has caught crime fever this autumn. Following THE MOUSETRAP, Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery in the SCHIFFBAU HALLE, another work by the “Queen of Crime” takes centre stage. In this ensemble reading, Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot and his trusted companion Arthur Hastings attempt to solve one of Poirot’s most challenging cases: that of a serial killer who meticulously commits murders in alphabetical order.
3.30–4.30 pm
MONTAGE HALLE
KUNST ALS EXIL
Out of the Shadows: Lesser-Known Exiles
They were celebrated and merely tolerated at the same time: exiles such as Therese Giehse and Bertolt Brecht helped make Schauspielhaus Zürich world-famous in the 1930s and 1940s. But lesser-known or forgotten artists, as well as those working behind the scenes, also shaped the theatre during those years. Who were they, and what legacy have they left us? Join us as we trace their stories!
2.00–3.00 pm
MONTAGE HALLE
IMMER WIEDER SONNTAG
What lies beyond reality?
Who can we still believe? Conspiracy theories are no longer confined to obscure corners of the internet. We encounter them in everyday life, on social media and at the heart of public debate. They promise simple explanations for an increasingly complex world – telling stories of secret powers, hidden truths and knowledge supposedly accessible to only a select few.
As part of the Schiffbau Festival, Schauspielhaus Zürich invites you to a conversation about MAGIC KINGDOM, the new production by director and writer duo Álvaro Nogales and Adrián Perea. Together with dramaturg Rebecca Ajnwojner and Álvaro Nogales, we explore the fascination of conspiracy narratives: Why do people believe stories that resist any attempt at verification? What makes them so seductive – and when does doubt turn into certainty?
The talk takes a closer look at the mechanisms behind conspiracy theories and asks what they reveal about the world we live in today. A conversation about truth, mistrust and the allure of the unbelievable.
5–5.45 pm
MONTAGE HALLE
KONZERT: SULLIVAN FORTNER TRIO «LEAVE THAT IN THERE»
«Unadulterated & honest musical expression»
Hailing from New Orleans, Sullivan Fortner has been regarded as one of the finest jazz pianists of his generation for over a decade. The Grammy-winning artist, composer and bandleader captivates audiences with his tonal depth, stylistic versatility, and exceptional improvisational talent. He also spent many years performing alongside American jazz stars such as Roy Hargrove, Christian Scott and Stefon Harris.
He gained international recognition for his solo album "Solo Game" (2024) and for his work as co-producer and pianist on "The Window", the album he recorded with the young jazz diva Cécile McLorin Salvant. Together, they performed an unforgettable duo set on the Moods stage.
Fortner is now coming to visit with his trio and a new album in hand. "Leave that in there" is being released on Artwork Records this year and follows the highly acclaimed and 2026 GRAMMY awarded previous album, "Southern Nights". In the trio, Fortner prioritises unadulterated, honest musical expression over perfection, embracing spontaneous, unpractised moments, mistakes, and raw recordings to capture genuine emotion.s
Free tickets via moods.
7:00 p.m.
moods
THE GHOSTS OF THE ART STUDIO
A creative workshop for everyone aged 7 and up.
What stories are hidden within the walls of a painting studio? What traces have earlier generations of painters left behind, and what tools and materials did they use? In this workshop, we set out in search of clues in the painting studio. We discover old tools and materials, learn about working methods from the past, and hear stories connected to the studio and its history.There will also be a chance to try your hand at printmaking: using linocut motifs and printing ink, you can create your own postcards to take home as a small memento of the painting studio and its stories. A workshop for discovering, exploring and experimenting – where traces of the past meet new impressions.
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
1:00–2:00 p.m.
3:00–4:00 p.m.
MALSAAL
YOGA
With Laura Steiner
Had enough of being spooked? If you’d rather unwind and do something good for your body and mind, this yoga session is just the thing for you. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a complete beginner, you can look forward to a grounding, warming and stabilising flow of asanas, in harmony with the breath and incorporating meditative elements. Yoga mats will be provided.
2:00–3:00 p.m.
PROBEBÜHNE 4