On Wednesday April 24th 15 of our members met up in Gilden am Zims on Heumarkt for a very traditional Cologne lunch. The relaxed Brauhaus atmosphere with the usual large mixture of varied other guests was great fun. Most of us – apart from the ‘old Cologne hands’ like our chairperson and our treasurer- realised for the first time just how extensive the building is. The expedition to the Ladies also gave us an idea as to how far down the cellars go!
Walking over after lunch to our date at the Hänneschen Theater was a matter of minutes and we were welcomed by one of the actors for our behind-the-scenes tour. He opened the curtains to the stage, already set for the afternoon performance, and invited us to take our seats in the first rows. Sitting on stage he produced his guitar and sang an introductory Kölsch song about the theatre. We then heard how the theatre was founded in 1802!, -something Liesel’s T-shirt with the text —Hänneschen Theater 222— had given a hint about but I personally had missed out on ! He explained how the famous Stockpuppen (engl. stick puppets) are made and operated with the actor manipulating the individual puppet, speaking their character’s lines. We were then brought backstage to see the stage sets and the 300 heads in store, each of which represents an instantly recognisable character in the show such as Hänneschen himself and his partner Bärbelchen or well-known public figures. This combined with the topical texts the puppets ‘speak’ in Kölsch is the the great attraction for a local audience.
We all enjoyed our visit to the theatre, our guide was both relaxed and informative. I think it’s safe to say that we all left with the firm intention of booking to see a performance in the near future, possibly as a Club event.