What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a cabaret, old chum, come to the cabaret!
The Pulverfass bills itself as Europe’s most exclusive Travastie-Cabaret. If you’ve seen the movie Cabaret, then you already have a good idea of what to expect, except that this one has nudity and a lot more men… in drag. If this is not your thing, then you may as well stop reading now. If you think that this could be engaging, then read on… and perhaps line up a couple of tickets for a dinner and a show.
I caught the December 30th show (2013), which is probably more over-the-top than normal, and it was definitely entertaining. I arrived an hour early in order to get good seats, and I was not disappointed. It may have helped that I spoke German when I booked the tickets, and again when I picked them up on the day of. Or perhaps I just fooled myself into thinking that any of that helped. There really weren’t any bad seats to be had. Waiting for the show to start, and wondering who else would be attending, I was surprised to see a bus load of elder Germans arriving, perhaps from a senior center. I wondered if they knew what they were getting themselves into, but then I remembered that Germany is much more liberal than the US when it comes to nudity.
I wouldn’t describe any of the acts as raunchy, and only two or three had full nudity. The audience was generally enthusiastic, and the dancing and singing, though not top notch, was entertaining.
Why go?
- It’s one of the better known Cabaret’s in Hamburg, and probably all of Germany
- It will be an interesting evening.
What you need to know:
- The Pulverfass address is: Reeperbahn 147, very near the S-Bahn Reeperbahn station.
- Their website is: https://www.pulverfasscaberet.de
- Purchase your tickets by calling (long distance to Germany) the Ticket Hotline at [49] 1806-570-000
- The cost is 15 Euro per person
- The reservation is held without requiring a credit card. You pay when you arrive at the theatre.
- Arrive an hour early to pay and get better seats
- The first drink order must be for at least 20 Euro. This is by table, not per person, so it isn’t that difficult to do since drinks cost at least 8-10 Euros.
- The show lasts about 2.5 hours.
