Located in beautiful Berne, Switzerland, Upstage staged their first production in 1982. Since then, our lively theatre group has staged over 90 productions and has become a permanent part of the Bernese theatre scene. Each year we put on an spring and autumn production. Throughout the year, we hold regular theatre-based activities.

Each production requires the participation of many volunteers, both onstage and behind the scenes. If you are interested in joining us, Upstage offers a wide range of opportunities to participate in English-language theatre productions. We might have something just right for you!

1. Committee
2. History of Upstage
3. Other Swiss Theatre Groups

Committee

Myriam Schleiss, Carla Carlucci, Eliane Baumann, Valeria Lucentini, Graham Goodwin, Tony Dandan, Tamar Richner

History of Upstage

The idea of an English-speaking amateur dramatic society in Berne was thought up by Rosamund Bandi when she returned to Switzerland in 1981 after spending two years in West Africa, where she had been a member of a local group. She got together with a few friends, and they discussed the question of demand for such entertainment in the Swiss capital. After deciding that it was worth a try, they put an advertisement in the local press and hired the church hall at St. Ursula’s. Around 40 people turned up for the first meeting. After taking the first step, a core of interested people was formed and plans were laid for our first production. Eva Kohler offered to direct “Bedroom Farce” by Alan Ayckbourn, and they set about looking for a possible venue. After visiting a number of places, they decided on the school hall at Köniz Gymnasium, which was booked for two nights. The play was cast and rehearsals started. Meanwhile, most of the cast and other enthusiastic helpers started building the set in a “borrowed” workshop. One of the most valuable acquisitions at this time was yards and yards of discarded book-binding linen, which was then used to build the first set of flats. It was only years later that they had to be replaced. Despite the club having just been founded, they had managed to drum up a good deal of interest, and played to well-filled houses. The response was incredible, and they knew that all their efforts had been worthwhile.

Up to 2024, most of our productions were staged at the Theater am Käfigturm, Spitalgasse 4 in Berne. The theatre was first managed by Roland Morgenegg, a passionate theatre fan, and later by his son, Adrian Morgenegg. Due to the financial challenges of running the theatre, the Theater am Käfigturm closed at the end of August 2024.

Other Swiss Theatre Groups

Bern

• English-language theatre groups
  • The Caretakers
  • Hey Charlie Productions
  • Captivate Bern
• German-language theatre groups and theatres
  • Theater Central
  • Junge Bühne Bern
  • Bühnen Bern
  • Theater Matte
  • Schlachthaus Theater
  • La Cappella
  • Zytglogge Theater
  • Tojo Theater
  • HKB Theater
  • Berner Puppentheater

Switzerland: English-language theatre groups

• GEDS – Geneva
• GAOS – Geneva
• The Village Players – Lausanne
• White Rabbit Theatre Company – Winterthur
• ETGZ – Zug
• Semi-Circle – Basel
• Basel English Pantomime Group – Basel
• The Zest – Zurich
• Close Encounters Theatre – Zurich
• Simply Theatre

If you would like to add your group, please contact us via our form.