Stadsschouwburg   1894

The Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg - rebranded to Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) - is the country's largest podium for performances varying from plays and music theatre to modern dance.

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam is home to major festivals such as Brandhaarden, Julidans, the Holland Festival and the Netherlands Theatre Festival.

The building

The architects Springer and Van Gendt designed the building at the end of the 19th century. It is a building in the style of the Central Station and the Stedelijk Museum, which were built in the same period.

The theatre building on Leidseplein has an eclectic appearance with elements of the neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque periods.

From outside, the theatre is a Rennaissance building through the use of brick and soapstone and the many little towers on the exterior. Inside, the municipal theatre has a neo-baroque style with many embellishments which may be clearly seen in the auditorium.

Toneelgroep Amsterdam and Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam merged in 2018, and are operating now under the name Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA).

There were originally 3 public entrances at the front of the city theatre. The main entrance in the centre was only for a distinguished public. In front of this entrance there is a passageway where the coaches used to be able to drive through up to the doors. The other 2 entrances were located to the left and right of the main entrance. These side entrances were intended for the less-rich public and led to the 2nd and 3rd balconies which had only wooden chairs and standing room. To reach these balconies one had to climb 88 steps.

ITA ensemble   formerly Toneelgroep Amsterdam

Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA) is one of the leading lights in Dutch theatre, with a large ensemble  of famous actors. In addition to its own location in Amsterdam, the ensemble plays around 100 stages a year worldwide.

Rabozaal

This new, state-of-the-art, second theatre hall was opened in 2009. It is a richly decorated industrial space, ideal for plays with wind, rain and ice. It is also used for concerts by the adjacent Melkweg pop venue.

Location

The beautiful, historical building of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam dominates Leidseplein. Across the street is the American Hotel and Hirsch building. The Vondelpark is on 5 minutes walking distance.