Kleines Theater

What Kleines Theater does

Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg is a privately operated, nonprofit theater registered as "kleines theater nachfolger 2019 e.V." (eingetragener Verein), located at Koblenzer Str. 78, 53177 Bonn, in the Bad Godesberg district of Bonn, Germany. The organization was established in 2019 as the successor to the original theater founded by Walter Ullrich, and is led today by Theaterleiter Frank Oppermann with deputy Stefan Krause, supported by a named staff including house manager Thomas Heidbüchel, secretariat Cornelia Siefker-Helmling, artistic operations (Sabine Rübsamen), and musical director Theo Palm. Its core offering is a seasonal program (Spielzeit) of approximately 10 mainstage productions per year spanning drama, comedy, musical, cabaret, and world premieres (e.g., FLEISCH – Uraufführung 2023/2024), staged on an indoor stage with an additional outdoor venue ("Unter der Zeder").

The business model is a multi-stream nonprofit revenue mix. Direct ticket revenue (single-ticket sales across five price groups, EUR 25–39 full / EUR 13–20 reduced) is generated through a proprietary online ticketing portal (tickets.kleinestheater.eu), an on-site box office, phone orders, and external presale partners Bonnticket and Eventim (the latter two charging a Vorverkaufsgebühr). Recurring subscription revenue comes from season-ticket packages (Vollabo 10-play, Wahlabo 8-play, Weihnachtsabo 5-play, Premierenabo) priced from EUR 122 to EUR 335 per season across price groups. Additional revenue lines include venue rental (Theater mieten / Gastspiele), the on-site theater bar "Ullrich's – die Theatergastronomie," and donation/fundraising vehicles including Stuhlpatenschaft (chair sponsorship), Fördermitgliedschaft, and recurring giving via Betterplace, Startnext, GoFundMe, PayPal, and bank transfer. Operational funding is also received from Stadt Bonn and Land NRW (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft). Affiliated programming extends to Theater&Ehrenfeld in Cologne (Platenstr. 32, 50825 Köln).

The technology stack is intentionally light: the public-facing digital presence runs on WordPress with The Events Calendar plugin for event management and ticketing integration, and no proprietary software, app, API, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Distribution reach is supported by external ticketing aggregators (Bonnticket, Eventim) and an owned ensemble of 60+ freelance actors listed publicly. Industry positioning comes from membership in the Deutscher Bühnenverein and its Private Theater group, and from programming credibility anchored by a documented 2007 Laurence Olivier Award reference (Best New Comedy) tied to a production in the theater's repertoire. The customer segments served are horizontal: a general public of local and regional theater-goers in Bonn and the wider Rhein-Sieg region, plus guest performers and event organizers who rent or co-produce in the venue.

Name

Kleines Theater

Legal name

kleines theater nachfolger 2019 e.V.

Website

https://kleinestheater.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Short description

kleines theater Bad Godesberg is a nonprofit (eingetragener Verein) theater in Bonn, Germany, producing roughly 10 plays per season across comedy, drama, and musicals, supplemented by an outdoor concert series and venue rental, serving local and regional audiences plus traveling guest performers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Concert Halls & Music Venue Operations (Symphony Halls, Recital Venues) (MPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Season subscriptions
• Venue rental services
• Outdoor concert series
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single-ticket sales across five price groups ranging from EUR 25 to EUR 39 (full price) and EUR 13 to EUR 20 (reduced). Tickets sold online, at box office, and via external presale partners.
2. Subscriptions (Abonnements): Season subscriptions (Vollabo, Wahlabo, Weihnachtsabo, Premierenabo) with 5-10 plays bundled at discounted per-play rates across five price groups.
3. Theater Venue Rental: The theater is rented out for external events and productions (Theater mieten, Gastspiele).
4. Theater Bar (Ullrich's): On-site theater bar and gastronomy operated as 'Ullrich's – die Theatergastronomie'.
5. Sponsorships and Donations: The theater accepts donations via Betterplace, Startnext, GoFundMe, bank transfer, and PayPal. A chair sponsorship program (Stuhlpatenschaft) and direct membership (Fördermitgliedschaft) are offered.
6. Public Funding: Operational funding from Stadt Bonn and Land NRW (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg operates a private, community-rooted performing arts venue producing a seasonal repertoire of approximately 10 live theater productions per Spielzeit (season), spanning drama, comedy, musical, and cabaret genres, performed on an indoor main stage and an outdoor open-air stage called 'Unter der Zeder'. The organization sells tickets and season subscriptions (Abonnements), rents the venue to external productions and event organizers, operates an on-site theater bar (Ullrich's), and hosts guest performances (Gastspiele). A music concert series titled 'Musik unter der Zeder' is presenting partner-programmed with KuKuG e.V.

Product overview

Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg is a private theater venue offering a diverse program of live performances including plays, comedies, musicals, and dramatic productions across multiple seasons. The theater's core offering centers on its main stage productions (Stücke/Spielzeit), complemented by the outdoor music concert series 'Musik unter der Zeder' featuring various musical genres. Additional revenue streams include a comprehensive ticketing system with subscription options (Abonnement), venue rental services (Theater mieten), on-site gastronomy (Ullrich's – die Theatergastronomie), and guest performance hosting (Gastspiele). The theater operates as a nonprofit association (nachfolger 2019 e.V.) and is publicly funded by the City of Bonn and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Musik unter der Zeder: Outdoor music series featuring various artists and genres performed under a cedar tree at the theater venue.
• Ullrich's – die Theatergastronomie

Quantifiable outcome

• Die 39 Stufen received the Olivier Award 2007 for Best New Comedy and has been a sustained hit in London's West End and on Broadway — validating the theater's production quality.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Stadt BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Bonn provides public funding to support the theater's operations. This is a core, recurring partnership essential to the theater's financial sustainability.
• Land NRW (Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Ministry for Culture and Science) provides public funding to the theater through the MKW NRW program. This is a key government funding partnership.
• Deutscher BühnenvereincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe theater is a member of the Deutscher Bühnenverein (German Stage Association) and its PrivateTheater group, providing industry representation, network access, and professional standards alignment.
• KuKuG e.V.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerKuKuG e.V. is the organizer of the 'Musik unter der Zeder' outdoor concert series held at the theater's cedar tree stage. Multiple events are listed as co-presented by KuKuG e.V., including concerts by Vrings 5, The Rhythm Section Band, and Kathrin Eigendorf.
• BonnticketmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBonnticket is the primary external ticket sales partner, with the theater's tickets available for purchase at bonnticket.de and the associated hotline. Presale fees apply for tickets purchased through this channel.
• EventimmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEventim is an external ticketing platform through which tickets for theater events are sold, providing broader national reach beyond the theater's own box office and website.
• Theater&EhrenfeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated theater operation in Cologne's Ehrenfeld district (Platenstr. 32, 50825 Köln). Listed as a separate venue for certain events such as the 'Eröffnungsveranstaltung – Ein Theaterreigen' scheduled for August 14, 2026.
• Freunde und Förderer des kleinen theaters e.V.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerAn external support association (friends and patrons) that raises funds and awareness for the theater. Linked on the website as an external fundraising organization.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theater im Delphi: Privately operated theater in Berlin with a comparable model: small independent venue producing plays, musicals and cabaret with subscription programs and public subsidies. Direct comparable in scale and operating structure to Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg.
• Deutsches Theater München: Private theater in Munich offering a season-based repertoire of plays, comedies and musicals with subscription tiers. Comparable to Kleines Theater in operating model, scale and private-theater positioning in a major German city.
• Theater der Keller: Private theater in Cologne producing a diverse program of plays, comedy and music events with subscription options. Highly relevant regional peer given geographic proximity (Cologne) and overlap with Kleines Theater's Cologne-affiliated programming at Theater&Ehrenfeld.
• Freies Werkstatt Theater: Independent private theater in Cologne producing contemporary drama, comedy and music productions. Comparable in scale, repertoire diversity and independent-operating model to Kleines Theater Bad Godesberg.
• Schlossparktheater Berlin: Established private theater in Berlin-Steglitz operating a multi-genre repertoire (drama, comedy, musical) with subscription programs. Highly comparable as a German private theater with mixed ticketing and public funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Schauspiel Köln: Cologne's public dramatic theater (part of Bühnen Köln). Major regional competitor for live theater attendance; relevant because Kleines Theater's Cologne affiliate (Theater&Ehrenfeld) operates within this catchment area.
• Theater Bonn: Municipal public theater in Bonn with multiple stages producing opera, drama, ballet and concerts. Broad incumbent in the same city as Kleines Theater, competing for the same regional audience but operating at significantly larger scale with full municipal funding.
• Oper Bonn: Bonn's public opera house, part of Theater Bonn. Competes with Kleines Theater for the regional cultural-attendance wallet and offers an alternative classical-music/performance option to the Bad Godesberg audience.

Emerging players

• Wintergarten Berlin: Berlin variety/theater venue combining live performances with dining/gastronomy in a model that echoes Kleines Theater's combined indoor stage + 'Ullrich's' theater bar approach. Relevant for its multi-format programming and on-site gastronomy integration.
• Pathos München: Smaller private theater in Munich focused on contemporary plays, readings and intimate productions. Comparable to Kleines Theater in scale and independent-venue positioning, though operating in a different city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KleinesTheaterBG
• Instagraminstagram.com/kleines.theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kleines Theater