Welcome to Hamburg! These are the words used on the loudspeaker at the “Willkommhöft” to greet ships coming upriver to Hamburg harbour. We would like to extend the same warm welcome to those of you taking part in FEATS 2005. We have put together some information about Hamburg, both practical and interesting. If you have any questions, please e-mail us at [email protected] A few facts . . . The Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany, with around 1.7 million inhabitants, and is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located on the rivers Elbe and Alster, 110 kilometres from the North Sea, with the largest German harbour and second largest container port in Europe. Hamburg’s history dates back to the early 9th century. In 1189 the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa granted Hamburg the right to trade in the area of the lower Elbe river and also exempted the town from paying customs duties (hence the word “Free”). Hamburg is very proud of its seafaring traditions and the harbour area is both lively and interesting. The city centre is located on the inner (Binnen) and outer (Aussen) Alster lakes. The inner Alster is surrounded by elegant shops, hotels and businesses. The outer Alster has beautiful villas and houses on its banks, and in fine weather the lake is full of sailing and rowing boats, while the park on its banks is thronged with walkers, joggers and cyclists. It is possible to take a boat trip round the lake to see Hamburg’s skyline from the water. There is a lot to see and do in and around the city – for instance, the Planten un Blomen botanical gardens right next to the Radisson Hotel, boat tours of the harbour and Alster lake, guided tours of the Town Hall (Rathaus), superb shopping arcades, several museums and much more – not forgetting the famous Reeperbahn. We will have information on places of interest and possible tours, etc. at the Hospitality Desk. Public transport services, both bus and underground, are excellent. Both the underground and buses run all night on weekends and public holidays, i.e the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of FEATS. On Monday night most services run till midnight and there are always night buses – we will have timings at the hospitality desk. Details on ticket types and prices are given below. Altona The Altona area, where the FEATS theatre is located, has a unique history of its own. In 1938 it became a suburb of Hamburg, but in the 19th century it was, after Copenhagen, the second largest city in Denmark! The Altonaer Theater is located in Museumstrasse, next door to the Altona Museum and a short walk from the impressive façade of the town hall. Altona has superb public transport connections, with a railway station, underground and bus connections to all parts of Hamburg. It is a very lively and colourful area of Hamburg, with numerous restaurants and late-night bars, plus the Mercado shopping centre which is about five minutes walk from the theatre. For more information on Hamburg, please go to http://www.hamburg.de/ or www.hamburgtourismus.de We have listed some restaurants and bars in the Altona area below and will have a more comprehensive list available at the hospitality desk. One thing’s certain – you won’t be hungry or thirsty in Hamburg!

GETTING TO HAMBURG By Air: To Hamburg’s Fuhlsbüttel airport. From the airport there is the Jasper Airport Express bus which will take you to Hamburg central station (Hauptbahnhof). Departs every 15 minutes from outside Terminals 1 and 4 (after 19.00 every 20 minutes). Travel time 25 minutes. Fare: €5. A taxi will cost approximately €20. By Air: To Hamburg-Lübeck with Ryanair. Take the bus from directly outside the arrivals terminal. Ticket costs €8. The bus brings you to Hamburg’s Bus Port (ZOB), a short walk from Hamburg’s Central Station (Hauptbahnhof). Then follow directions for getting to your hotel as below. Or you can take the 37 bus (direction Schenefelder Platz, takes 24 minutes, cost €2.60) from the Bus Port to Altona Station – get off the Ryanair bus and walk to the bus stop on the corner. This bus runs every 20 minutes, till 18.39 on weekdays and 16.39 on Saturdays; it does not run on Sundays and public holidays. The entrance to the U Bahn is right next to the bus stop, if you want to take the U3 to St Pauli (see below). By Train: Intercity trains usually stop at Hamburg Central, Dammtor and Altona stations. For the Radisson Hotel, travel to Dammtor – the hotel is about a 3-minute walk away. If you have booked a hotel in the Altona area (Hotel Stephan or Hotel Hamburg Altona), travel to Altona station. Both hotels are a short walk away (see below). By Car: Check out your best route on the following websites – www.falk.de or www.map24.com PUBLIC TRANSPORT – TICKETS The Hamburg Tourist Board issues the Hamburg Card. This is a ticket which is valid for one or three days, for individuals or for groups. It entitles the holder to travel on any form of public transport in the Hamburg area, including express, sprinter or night buses, as well as free or reduced-price admission to many museums, the Town Hall and St. Michael’s Church. There are also discounts available on sightseeing trips round the city, the harbour or on the Alster. Hamburg Card Day Ticket * 3-Day Ticket * Group Ticket 1 Day + Group Ticket 3 Days +

Price € 7.30 15.00 13.50 23.90

* 1 adult and three children up to 15 years of age + 5 adults, but you must travel together. All the Hamburg Cards plus other types of ticket can be purchased at the machines in underground stations, press the button for English (you must have cash, though change is usually given). The Hamburg Card can also be purchased from a Hamburg Tourist Board office. There is one in the Hauptbahnhof and also in Dammtor station. Bus tickets can be bought from the driver. A “9 o’clock ticket”(9-Uhr-Karte), valid from 9.00 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and public holidays, costs €4.65. If you want to include express buses, the cost is €5.75. A 3-day ticket(3-Tage-Karte) costs €13.30 (with express bus/1st class supplement €15). For further ticket or timetable information (German and English), go to www.hvv.de .

GETTING TO YOUR HOTEL There is an Information desk at Fuhlsbüttel airport. At Hamburg Central Station there is a HVV (Hamburg Transport) and Hamburg Tourist Board office in the main building if you need assistance. There is a Hamburg Tourist Board office in Dammtor station. Buses in Hamburg: Inside the bus there is usually a display showing the next stop. If you want to get off at your stop, press the red button near the doors – a STOP sign lights up at the front for the driver (the bus does not automatically stop at every stop). To be on the safe side, or if the bus is one of the older ones without a display, ask the bus driver to tell you when to get off the bus. Hamburg Underground: As you get on to the platform there are boards showing which lines run from that platform and which stops are made. Taxis: There are plenty of taxis at the airport and Hauptbahnhof. From Hamburg Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) to: (http://www.feats.org/2005/index.htm for map download)

The Radisson Hotel S-Bahn - Take the S31 (direction Altona) one stop to Dammtor. Get off the airport express, turn left and make for the station entrance to the left. Just before the entrance, you will see signs on your left to the S Bahn (green) and Platforms 1 and 2. Platform 2 for Altona/Dammtor. At Dammtor, exit right to Dag-Hammarskjöld-Platz/Messe/CCH, the hotel is to your right. Bus: Take the 112 bus (direction Neumühlen/Övelgönne). Get off the Airport Express, go into the station entrance directly in front of you and walk through to the exit Spitalerstrasse/City at the other end. Turn left, the 112 bus stop is a little way ahead. Get off at U Stephansplatz (2nd stop (5 min.), €1.05). Go up the path/ramp directly ahead as you get off the bus (behind the bus stop). You will see the Radisson to your left as you go over the walkway. Intercity train: From Dammtor station, exit as above. The Ibis St. Pauli Hotel U-Bahn: Take the U3 (direction Barmbek).Get off the airport express, turn left and walk to the far corner. You will see signs to the U-Bahn, U1(blue) and U3(yellow). Just near the flower stand on the corner is the U-Bahn entrance. Follow the signs for the U3, Platform 4 (direction Barmbek). St. Pauli is the 6th stop. At St. Pauli, turn right out of the station, cross the road, Millerntorplatz is on your right. At the Tex BBQ restaurant on the next corner, turn right into a pedestrian walkway. At the end of this is Seilerstrasse. Diagonally across from you on the left at the corner of Seilerstrasse and Simon-von-Utrecht-Strasse is the entrance to the Ibis Hotel. Bus: Take the 112 bus as above. Get off at U St. Pauli (6th stop (11 min.), €1.50). Get off the bus, turn left up the Reeperbahn, and follow directions as above. OR Take the 37 bus. Get off the Airport Express in Kirchenallee, the No. 37 bus stop is directly behind the Airport Express bus stop. Get off at U St Pauli (7th stop, (14 min.), €1.50), then as above. The Hotel Hamburg Altona and the Hotel Stephan in Altona S-Bahn: Take the S-Bahn from Platform 1, direction Wedel, to Altona station (6th stop). Take Ottenser Hauptstrasse exit for Hotel Hamburg Altona, Museumstrasse exit for Hotel Stephan (then as below). Bus: Take the 112 as above. Get off at Bf. Altona (Bahnhof Altona) – this is a large bus depot at Altona railway station (13th stop, (24 min.), €1.50). OR Take the 37 as above. Get off at Bf. Altona (11th stop, (25 min.), €2.60). For Hotel Hamburg Altona, cross the bus island to the other side, cross over the road and walk up the pedestrian walkway to your left. You will see the MERCADO shopping centre ahead of you . In front of you on the left-hand corner is a Burger King restaurant. Carry straight on with this on your left. You will see the exit from the Mercado car park on your left and a little further up on the right a HOTEL sign. This is the Hotel Hamburg Altona.

For the Hotel Stephan, get off the bus, wait till it pulls away - you will see a brown brick building directly in front of you and to the left of this is Museumstrasse. Walk down Museumstrasse, cross at the pedestrian crossing and turn left. At the next road (Max-BrauerAllee), cross and turn right. Schmarjestrasse is the first street on your left and the hotel is approx. two blocks down on the right. GETTING TO THE THEATRE FROM YOUR HOTEL

From the Radisson: Turn left into Dammtor station. On the right corner are the ticket machines. Past these on the left are escalators and stairs to Platforms 1 and 2. Up the escalator, Platform 1 for the S31 to Altona (3rd stop). Takes 8 minutes, runs every 10 minutes, €1.50. At Altona go up the escalator, following signs for Museumstrasse. Turn right for Museumstrasse and up ramp. Cross at the pedestrian lights, straight across into Museumstrasse. There is a park on your left, the theatre is on the right, after the museum. Bus: You can also take the 112 bus from Stephansplatz, but it takes longer (11th stop, (19 min), €1.50). A good way to see more of Hamburg if you have plenty of time to get to the theatre.

From the Ibis St. Pauli: Go to the bus stop at Millerntor (out of Ibis right, left at restaurant on corner, straight on to bus stop in front of U-Bahn St. Pauli). From here you can take the 112 or 37 to Bf. Altona (bus station). Takes 13 (7 stops) and 11 (4 stops) minutes respectively, €1.50, buses run every 10 minutes on weekdays, every 15 minutes on weekends and holidays. The bus is the easiest way of getting to Altona from the Ibis, though alternatives are: U-Bahn: Take the U3 one stop to Landungsbrücken (Direction Mümmelmannsberg). Change here onto the S1 (direction Wedel or Blankenese), for Altona (3rd stop). S-Bahn: Instead of turning left on the Reeperbahn, turn right and walk to Reeperbahn SBahn, about an 8-minute walk. Take the S1 (direction Wedel or Blankenese) to Altona (3rd stop). From Hotel Stephan: Left out of hotel, down Schmarjestrasse, cross Max-Brauer-Allee, across the park, theatre is on the opposite side of the road. From Hotel Hamburg Altona: Left out of hotel, straight on to bus station, cross bus station and into Museumstrasse on far side. Cross at pedestrian lights, into Museumstrasse with park on your left, theatre is on the right after the museum.

HOSPITALITY DESK The Hospitality Desk will be located in the Altonaer Theater. On Friday 13 May it will be open from 15:00 hours until curtain up at 19.00 hours, and during both intervals. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday it will be open from 11.00 till 19.00. If you require any information or assistance during the intervals, our front-of-house staff will be pleased to help. REFRESHMENTS Sandwiches and snacks, coffee, tea and water will be available at the theatre from 11.00 till 19.00 hours. The theatre bar will be open for interval drinks at both intervals. For after-theatre drinks, see the list of late-night bars in the Altona area, available at the hospitality desk. DRINKS TICKETS Will be on sale at the theatre. THEATRE AND PARTY TICKETS Click here (http://www.feats.org/2005/index.htm) for the order form for tickets. The cut-off date for bookings is 28 April 2005. FEATS PARTY Not to be missed - we hope you’re all going to be there! The venue is about a five-minute walk from the theatre (details on how to get there at the Hospitality Desk). Tickets cost €23 and include a welcome drink, buffet and music (you can dance too,if you want to!). As the underground and buses will be running all night, we can party till late. We will use the system Antwerp had of different coloured tickets for cast and crew and those performing/rehearsing next day, so that they can serve themselves from the buffet first and leave earlier if they wish.

THE FRINGE Will take place at the Altonaer Theatre from Saturday 14 to Monday 16. Click here (http://www.feats.org/2005/index.htm) to go to the Fringe website. The final Fringe programme will be available at the Hospitality Desk. WALK IN HAMBURG We have arranged a walking tour of one of the areas of interest in Hamburg, so bring your walking shoes along. On the advice of our guides, we have chosen an area of Hamburg which is very interesting, the Speicherstadt and Hafen City. The walk will commence at the Landungsbrücken, in the heart of the harbour area, and will take you to the Speicherstadt, or “city of warehouses”. The Speicherstadt is the world’s oldest warehouse complex. Architecturally it bears no resemblance to modern-day warehouses – instead you will see red brick facades, gabled roofs and small towers, which are reflected in the canals below. As the harbour developed in the 19th century, merchants built storage and office facilities which could be approached by land and by water. The warehouses are part of the Free Port Zone and are still in use today. In contrast, the Hafen City is modern Hamburg’s harbourside development and will provide residential as well as business areas along the waterfront. So you will get to see the “heart” of Hamburg, the harbour, both historically and right up to the 21st century. It is planned to hold the walk on Sunday 15 May, start time11.00 a.m., duration 2 hours. You can sign up for the walk at the Hospitality Desk – there will be a small charge. MAPS We will have underground, bus route and tourist information maps available at the hospitality desk and details of last buses and trains. The tourist information maps have detailed information on all points of interest in Hamburg. MONEY Most large stores and restaurants in town accept credit cards, but the preferred method of payment is still cash. If you want to pay with a credit card, just check that it’s acceptable. The hospitality desk will have a list of cash machines in the area of the theatre. PARKING As in all large cities is difficult to find or expensive. If you drive to Hamburg, it is advisable to park your car and use public transport to get around Hamburg. The Radisson and Ibis hotels both have underground car parks, (see hotel booking form for cost). It may be possible to find some free parking on the other side of the street from the Radisson, in the area called Moorweide. TAXIS The taxi companies listed below all have English-speaking staff and accept credit cards (though it is simpler to pay cash). (040)44 10 11 /(040)211 211 /(040)66 66 66 (this last may require some form of ID for credit card payment!)

WHERE TO BREAKFAST Near the Radisson: About a 10 minute walk over the walkway bridge (turn left over the roadbridge). Cross at the traffic lights, turn left and then right into Colonnaden. At the end of Colonnaden, more or less on the opposite corner, is Alex in the Alster Pavillon is on the Alster Lake. Breakfast available weekdays 8-12, Saturdays 8- 2 p.m., Sundays and holidays brunch from 9-2.30 p.m., €8.70 for as much as you can eat, drinks extra. As you go down Colonnaden towards Jungfernstieg, you will see a sign to the right “Gänsemarkt Passage”. Up the escalator on the left is Café Engelchen, open from 9.00 weekdays and Saturdays, 11.00 Sundays and holidays. There are other cafés in Colonnaden and stands where you can buy coffee and a roll or croissant in Dammtor station. Near the Ibis: If you don’t want to breakfast in the hotel, try the Café Miller or Café Absurd in Clemens-Schultz-Strasse, which are round the corner from the Ibis (left out of hotel, cross road, first right). Café Miller is on the left-hand corner, Café Absurd further down on the right. Open from 10.00 a.m. weekdays and weekends. RESTAURANTS/CAFÉS/BARS IN THE ALTONA (THEATRE) AREA (walking distance) Italian: Lo Spuntino: Lobuschstr. 26 (under the Commerz Hotel) Opening times: 5 p.m. to midnight weekdays, 5 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. Sundays Fine Italian cuisine, Price range €8-16, reservations recommended Tel. (040) 390 4244 Indian: Balutschistan, Bahrenfelder Str. 169 (Alma Wartenberg Platz) Tel. (040) 390 1777 or 390 2229 Greek: Kypros, Spritzenplatz 18 Tel. (040) 390 33 50 or 39 38 63 Turkish: Deniz Grill, Bahrenfelder Str. 158 Tel. (040) 390 36 13 Chinese: Han Kong, Ottenser Hauptstr. 34 Tel. (040) 39 71 38 German/Hamburg: Zur Traube, Karl-Theodor Str. 4 Tel. (040) 399 08 236 Open 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., reservations recommended After-Theatre Drinks: Gazoline, Bahrenfelder Str. 132 Reise24 erlebniscenter, Ottenser Hauptstr. 30 Tel. (040) 39 80 6666 (Drinks,cocktails/Open-end) Venue, Ottenser Hauptstr. 43 Tel. (040) 398 062 66 (Cocktails/Snacks/Open-end)