Costly water damage hits Berliner Ensemble, estimated repair costs at over one million euros

The Berliner Ensemble, a renowned theatre located in the heart of Berlin, Germany, has suffered significant water damage. The incident occurred on Friday evening, April 9th, according to reports from rbb.

During the intermission of the play Ivanov, an accidental activation of an emergency sprinkler system caused approximately 15,000 liters of water to flood the main stage. As a result, many devices, including lighting and sound equipment, have been damaged beyond repair.

Fortunately, no audience members were inside the theatre at the time of the water damage, and the managing director of Berliner Ensemble, Oliver Resse, expressed his relief that no one was harmed.

The theatre is expecting to incur significant financial losses due to cancelled performances. The cost of repairing the water damage is expected to be at least one million euros. The exact nature of the damage caused by the water is not specified, but a more precise estimate is only possible after further analyses.

Anyone with tickets for an upcoming show will be contacted by post. The current schedule of performances will need to be adjusted due to the water damage, and the premiere of Sibylle Berg's RCE is unlikely to take place on April 25th as planned.

Sibylle Berg, a well-known German-language writer and theatre author, has works premiered at the Berliner Ensemble, such as "Ein wenig Licht. Und diese Ruhe." Although there is no clear evidence that she personally plans the premiere of "RCE" at the Berliner Ensemble on April 25, she is closely associated with the theatre and dramaturgy there.

At this time, no information is given about potential disruptions to the theatre's operations due to the water damage. The Berliner Ensemble will undoubtedly face challenges in the coming weeks as they work to repair the damage and resume their performances.