Hamburg professional improv and business theatre ensemble founded in 2000 by Britta Daniel and Lotte Lottmann, performing at venues including die Motte and Goldbekhaus. The company combines stage performance with an Improschule Hamburg and corporate training programs.
History
Britta Daniel and Lotte Lottmann founded Die Spieler in Hamburg in 2000. The ensemble has performed for more than 25 years as an improvisational and business theatre company. Ensemble members include Aref Weikert, Gunter Garrels, and Steffen Lubkert, with musicians including Jens Ketelsen, Philip Wilson, and Johannes Bahlmann, who joined in 2006.
The company performs regularly at die Motte and Goldbekhaus in Hamburg and tours to other venues. Corporate training programs delivered through the business theatre arm cover presence, communication, resilience, and virtual meeting facilitation, drawing from Keith Johnstone and international improvisers including Randy Dixon.
Artistic Identity
Die Spieler performs across a range of formats with live piano accompaniment, including crime improvisation, soap opera, Bollywood-style improv, sung scenes, and rhymed comedy. The ensemble works collaboratively, describing its approach as "like a football team on the field." Core ensemble values include the AUJA principle (say yes) and Scheiter heiter (failing cheerfully).
The Improschule Hamburg offers training for improvisers at all levels. Corporate workshops apply improvisation methodology to team communication, resilience, and adaptive leadership.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Die Spieler. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/die-spieler
The Improv Archive. "Die Spieler." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/die-spieler.
The Improv Archive. "Die Spieler." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/die-spieler. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.