German theatre founded in 1978 in Berlin under the direction of Rudolf Schmid. The main focus of the Fliegendes Theater (Flying Theatre) is the production of plays for children. The contents of these plays are based on the ideals of emancipatory education, such as Geschichten vom Hallodu (Stories from Hallodu, 1985). Since 1986, the theatre also stages performances for adults.

The Fliegendes Theater has helped to shape the evolution of traditional puppet theatre into multimedia performances; an example is Anne Frank (2003). Their stage, set up in 1982, makes possible experimentation and cooperation with artists from diverse backgrounds. A theatre of signs and images developed, based on the associative power of objects and their “un-perfected” ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings, as is explored in Herrn Uhus verrückte Geschichten (The Crazy Stories of Mr Owl, 1998). The artistic challenge in this is the constant tension between puppeteer and character, and between the epic, dramatic and visual elements. The experiences gained during this original theatrical work are passed on by the ensemble of the Fliegendes Theater during guest tours and workshops.

(See Germany.)