Essener Theaterring e.V.

The Grillo-Theater in Essen is the main venue of the city's resident drama company and sits in the heart of town. Its history goes back to 1892, when it opened as the municipal theater. It was built thanks to an endowment from Wilhelmine Grillo, who fulfilled a promise made by her late husband, the entrepreneur Friedrich Grillo. She not only provided the land but also covered most of the construction costs. The original building was erected in the Neo-Baroque style to designs by the Berlin architect Heinrich Seeling and was among the oldest theaters in the Ruhr region. Originally, the house was home to opera, dance, and drama before it specialized over time.

During World War II, the theater was largely destroyed, especially its historicist facade. Reconstruction took place in the 1950s according to plans by the architects Wilhelm Seidensticker and Johannes Dorsch, and the house reopened in 1950. In the following decades, the theater earned a special reputation through productions by renowned directors and the work of significant artists such as Caspar Neher and Kurt Jooss. After the new Aalto Theater was completed in 1988, the city planned to close the Grillo-Theater because of structural defects. However, the then artistic director of the drama company successfully prevented this plan.

Today, the Grillo-Theater is devoted exclusively to drama and underwent a comprehensive renovation in the early 1990s. The architect Werner Ruhnau transformed the auditorium into a flexible spatial theater, reducing the capacity from 670 to 400 seats to create a more intimate atmosphere. The theater reopened in this new form in 1990. Here you can experience a historic ambience complemented by modern alterations, and learn about the long tradition of the house, which remains an important cultural institution in Essen to this day.