If you enjoy writing outside obligatory term papers, this is a great opportunity to gain some editing and publishing experience. There are two rounds of feedback, one focusing on the content and your line of argument, the second purely on language. We’re proud to only have native speakers and lecturers from the language-practice department involved for the linguistic review.

Upcoming production: THAT FACE

Polly Stenham’s That Face is a dark, realistic play about a deeply dysfunctional upper-class family. It follows siblings Mia and Henry, whose lives are dominated by their unstable, alcoholic mother Martha and their largely absent father. After Mia is expelled from school for drugging another student, the family is forced back together, exposing their toxic relationships. Henry sacrifices his own life to care for his mother, while Martha manipulates and depends on him in unhealthy ways.

The play explores themes of addiction, neglect, and the breakdown of family relationships, showing how love can become damaging when it turns obsessive and controlling.

If you’re interested in writing for this issue, we will provide a copy of the play.

Suggested Topics

Essays

The play addresses a range of topics and can be viewed from numerous angles. While we are very open to your suggestions, we suggest these topics to write about:

• the legacy of in-yer-face theatre in British drama after 2000
• relationship between the comic and the tragic; what do we make of this distinction in contemporary playwriting and aesthetic experience?
• Polly Stenham’s oeuvre
• addiction and codependency (especially within the family)
• maternal ‘boy craziness’ and the romanticization of parent–child bonds
• abuse, and toxic cycles in boarding school culture
• concepts of the „family“ and their failures vis-a-vis
  • parentified children
  • failure in parenting
  • absent fatherhood
  • divorce

For your article, you’re welcome to draw on any sources, be they theoretical and academic, real-life events, other plays and literature or anything else. Yet, all pieces are tethered to the same ground, which is our production of THAT FACE. Your piece will thus be strongest—and appear the least arbitrary—if you can tie your argument back to the play or the way it is staged. So please consider including references to or lines from the play to substantiate your essay and ground it in the context of its publication.

Creative Writing

We welcome all sorts of creative writing and don’t feel restricted in terms of genre; we are interested in publishing poetry, prose, or dramatic pieces. You can take off from the issues addressed above or anything else in the play that resonates with you. While you might delve into one of the themes of the play—and spin it in any way required by your work—you can also take off from the work more closely and work with the characters, think about prequels, sequels, or alternative realities. These are just suggestions, shape your own space and page.

Dates

Bound both to the start of the semester as well as printing deadlines, the UP News has a rather tight schedule. These are the deadlines:

Submission: 6 May 2026
You will receive a review focusing on content and argument by 10 May 2026.

Revised version (content): 15 May 2026
You will receive a review focusing on language by 19 May 2026.

Final version: 22 May 2026
You will receive the proofs (PDF for printing) for your approval at end of May / early June. You will need to respond within three days.

We are aware that the timing for this issue is rough. If you can hand in your work any sooner, this might give you more time to work on your piece between each review and the subsequent new version. We will do our best.

Length

Articles should be:

• 500–600 words (1 page) or
• 1,000–1,200 words (2 pages)

Poems or other short pieces of creative writing are also welcome if they are related to the play (these can be longer but should not exceed 1,800 words).

The UP News is an English-language magazine, but we also accept and publish German contributions.

Blog

There are no fixed deadlines for publications online. If you set out to write for the blog, you should aim at roughly 600 words.

Get in touch

Interested? If you consider publishing with us, it would be a good idea to reach out before submission to suss out whether your topic is already being covered, or if your own idea is a good fit for this issue. You will also receive the stylesheet which we will ask you to follow. This will also help us all to avoid having to choose between two essays on the same subject. The best way to reach us is by email: editors@up-news.de. We will get back to you ASAP but definitely within 48 hours.

If you cannot meet the deadlines this time but want to join the writers pool so as to be informed about the next opportunities, drop us a line as well.

We welcome people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities — no prior experience needed. You don’t need to prepare anything — just show up!

Not an actor but still want in? We’ve got lots of backstage roles too! Whether you’re into stage and props, costume and makeup, production or directing assistance, photo and video, lighting and sound, PR and social media, or even graphic design — there’s a place for you. Reach out beforehand or join us at the readthrough (date below).

Any questions? Just reach out here or by email at up@uni-hamburg.de.

Audition Dates

Tuesday, 7 April, 2026, 6-9 PM, room A 10008 (Philturm, Von-Melle-Park 6)
Wednesday, 8 April, 2026, 6-9 PM, Audimax (Von-Melle-Park 4)
Thursday, 9 April, 2026, 6-9 PM, Audimax (Von-Melle-Park 4)
Friday, 10 April, 2026 18:00, 6-9 PM, Audimax (Von-Melle-Park 4)

Callback (invite only): Saturday, 11 April, 2026, 12 noon-6 PM, Audimax (Von-Melle-Park 4)
Readthrough: Tuesday, 14 April, 2026, 6-9 PM, room A 10008 (Philturm, Von-Melle-Park 6)

Other Important Dates

Rehearsals take place between 14 April and June 24. Actors need to be generally available on Fridays (4-9 PM) and Saturdays (12 noon – 6 PM). Additional rehearsal dates during the week depend on the schedules of cast members.

Rehearsal Weekend: May 15-17 or alternatively May 22-24
Collective stage building weekend: June 12-14
Main Rehearsals: June 19-21
Dress Rehearsal: June 22
Show Dates: June 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 29 and July 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Step into the world of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, where banishment becomes adventure and love blossoms in disguise. Follow Rosalind and Celia as they flee to the Forest of Arden, sparking a lively journey filled with wit, friendship, and unexpected romance. Watch Rosalind, hidden as “Ganymede,” playfully test Orlando’s devotion while wandering through a landscape of humour and heartfelt discovery. Identities unravel, conflicts fade, and joy triumphs as the story leads to a celebration of love, harmony, and new beginnings in one of Shakespeare’s most enduring comedies.

Shakespeariment is a bold theatrical experiment in which the ensemble meets for one single rehearsal before performing live in front of an audience. The thrill of the evening emerges from risk, immediacy, and the electric exchange between performers and spectators. The results are raw, direct, and gloriously unpredictable. No elaborate sets, no special effects. Minimal props but maximum presence, courage, and connection.

Brian Bell is an acclaimed director and writer whose work spans the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Originally from Texas, he brings a dynamic artistic range to the stage—from contemporary drama to music theater to the classical canon in both English and German. He made his directing debut in 2014 with Tracy Letts’ Killer Joe at the German National Theatre in Weimar. 

Since 2015, Brian has built a vibrant freelance career, directing productions in Weimar, Meiningen, Chemnitz, Heilbronn, Baden-Baden, and Ingolstadt. His Ingolstadt production of Stella – Das blonde Gespenst vom Kurfürstendamm (Böhmer/Lund) earned a nomination for the 2018 German Musical Award in the category “Best Revival.” A passionate and imaginative interpreter of Shakespeare, he has recently staged King Lear with the Shakespeare Company Berlin and Titus Andronicus at the Vagantenbühne in Berlin, where he collaborates regularly. Since 2016, Brian has also curated and led the innovative Shakespeariment series in Berlin, through which he has created sixteen boldly original Shakespeare productions. This production is the first realization of the Shakespeariment in Hamburg.

Participation

Professional actors, students, Shakespeare lovers, curious newcomers—all experience levels welcome. Enthusiasm and willingness to take creative risks and perform in Shakespearean English are more important than prior experience. Auditions are open to performers of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and ages. Roles will be cast without regard to physical appearance. We look forward to welcoming a brave ensemble ready to leap into this one-of-a-kind live experiment!

Auditions

The production will include 15-20 roles (subject to dramaturgical adjustments). Auditions are limited to 40 participants. Please prepare a comedic Shakespeare monologue no longer than 90 seconds. You may begin anywhere in the piece, but you will be stopped at the 90-second mark.

Dates

• Casting | Saturday, Feb 7, 2026, 10:00-14:00 | Phil A10008 (Philturm, Von-Melle-Park 6, 20146 Hamburg)
• Read-through | Sunday, Feb 8, 2026, 14:00-18:00 | VMP 5, 3016 (Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg)
• Rehearsal | Wednesday, Feb 25, 2026, 18:00-22:00
• Show | Sunday, March 1, 2026, 18:00-21:30

By auditioning, you are committing to attend all listed dates—no exceptions. Because our rehearsal time is limited, everyone is required to arrive on time and stay for the full session.

Locations tba.

Registration and Cost

Participation is free of charge. If you are not a student and your budget allows, we welcome a donation of €25–50 to help cover costs, making future projects like these possible.

To audition, please register by email: up@uni-hamburg.de. If you haven’t registered, you won’t get cast.

Supported by the Deutsche Shakespeare Gesellschaft

Portrait of Brian Bell by René Löffler

Insaka Moves unfolds as a communal, story-driven, and varied performance practice involving acting, movement, writing, monologues, and poetry. Participants explore the relationship between body and memory. They are reminded that every body carries knowledge, and that dance and acting are relational. The workshop turns movement into conversation and creates spaces of presence, rhythm, and reciprocity. The process-oriented work emphasizes connection and cultural reflection rather than the perfection of performance skills. It is not geared toward a result.

In Zambian and Malawian languages, “Insaka” refers to a multipurpose gathering place. It functions as a public court where disputes are resolved and justice is sought through collective dialogue, fostering democratic participation and social negotiation. The Insaka also offers a setting for mourning and memorials, a stage for dances and celebrations, and a platform for debates and storytelling. It is a deeply symbolic and culturally rich locus that embodies the essence of communal life, reflection, and human connection. Insaka follows a philosophy of openness, relation, and co-existence, where people come to see each other fully: in joy, in grief, in conflict, and in celebration. Rooted in the philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—the Insaka embodies collective decision-making and shared storytelling.

Students are invited to engage with questions around racism and intersectionality. Guided by Ubuntu philosophy and based on embodied storytelling, collective creation, and intercultural awareness, this workshop supports research into identity, community, and decolonial practices. It encourages interdisciplinary work and local reinterpretations of Insaka. Mini, non-public performances offer a living archive of memory, emotion, and community—a space where education, art, and life converge.

Mbene Mwambene is a Swiss-Zambian-Malawian actor, journalist, teacher, poet, theater director, storyteller, and dancer currently based in Bern, Switzerland. He is the first African to have been “granted the privilege” to study at Bern University of the Arts for a master’s degree in Expanded Theater. His solo The Story of a Tiger is an international success performed across theaters in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Mbene’s artistic work is mainly focused on post-colonial themes within and outside of theatrical settings. His professional acting life has revolved around interactive theatre, storytelling, improvised performances, singing, solo pieces, comedies, and body movement. Besides stage performances, Mbene facilitates workshops in prisons, schools, community spaces, and refugee camps in Africa and Europe.

Dates

• Saturday, April 25, 2026, 4 PM-9 PM
• Sunday, April 26, 2026, 10 AM-2 PM

Audimax, Von-Melle-Park 4, 20146 Hamburg

Registration and Cost

The workshop is limited to 15 participants and is free of charge. If you are not a student and your budget allows, we welcome a donation of €25–50 to help cover costs. Please register by email: up@uni-hamburg.de

Supported by the 2025 Gender Equality Fund (Gleichstellungsfonds 2025).

Portrait of Mbene Mwambene by Phillip Zurbach