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Cabaret and Comedy Clubs in Berlin - Berlin Hotels .com

The cabaret tradition is deeply entrenched in German culture. The first cabarets appeared at the end of the nineteenth century, and over the years it has evolved into an art form that kept the public entertained during peaceful times and fomented creative and political dissent during repressive times.

After World War I, cabarets became a hotbed of the avant garde, with performances by Dadaists and by shockingly modern composers such as Claude Debussy and Arnold Schonberg.

In Berlin, once most forms of censorship were lifted, cabarets acheived the height of their popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. Today's resurgence of the cabaret in Berlin harkens back to that earlier, golden era.

Kleine Nachtrevue, with its unabashedly sexy late-night escapades, celebrates and improves upon the naughty reputation of the cabaret. Servers are also performers, and their acts tease with near total nudity and scenarios that incorporate playful sadomasochism.

Bar Jeder Vernunft not only hints at the glory of 1920s Berlin, it takes place in a mirrored, plush tent dating from that era. The shows presented are often full-fledged musical comedies that might be presented in a more traditional theatre, but what a setting!

Friedrichstadtpalast doesn't just replicate a tradition; it is one. It has been presenting local and international artists since the 1920s, including the Berlin debut of Marlene Dietrich. Nowadays, it puts on Las Vegas-style spectacles with leggy dancers, flashy costumes, gravity-defying aerialists, and no-holds-barred live musical entertainment.

Berliner Kabarett Anstalt, despite its name, is more of an outright comedy venue than a musical theatre, per se. However, its emphasis on political comedy is right in line with the association of cabaret with dissent.

German comedy has its own set of traditions. Those not familiar with the language or the culture often say that the concept of "German comedy" is an oxymoron. While it is true that Germans don't laugh at the same things in the same way as Americans, the German language is structured so that the puns and ways of setting up a joke familiar in English language comedy are nearly impossible.

Also, Germans have sophisticated comic satire and cabaret traditions of their own. Because of these differences, standup comedy is a relatively new phenomenon in Berlin, but it thrives in venues such as Kookaburra Comedy Club. And at Kookaburra, there's an English language night once a month, which shouldn't be missed.