Grassauer Bauernbühne — Boandlgeheimnis

Folk Theatre from the Achental Valley

The Grassauer Bauernbühne is one of the most traditional amateur theatre groups in the Upper Bavarian Achental valley, located between Lake Chiemsee and Tegernsee. In the Heftersaal (also called Hefterstadel) — a historic barn stage in the market town of Grassau, district of Traunstein, state of Bavaria — the ensemble performs a new play each year in the Upper Bavarian dialect. The performances are multi-generational theatre that cultivates the local dialect, folk humour, and Bavarian storytelling tradition.

Boandlgeheimnis — Play of the 2026 Season

The 2026 play is titled »Boandlgeheimnis«. At its centre is the »Boandl« — the personified figure of Death in Bavarian folk tradition, made famous by »Brandner Kaspar« among others. In the play, the Boandl has died, triggering a catastrophe for Ripperl-Reni and Schnitter-Fesl, who are in charge of the afterlife administration. The play combines folk humour with thoughtful undertones about death, customs, and the deceased's continued existence — typical material of Upper Bavarian farmers' theatre.

Dates Across Two Seasons

The Bauernbühne performs the play in two blocks: a spring series in April with a premiere on Easter Sunday, and an autumn series in September/October. The evening performances begin at 7:30 PM, and the afternoon performances at 5:00 PM. The Heftersaal offers seating for around 200 spectators and is part of the Bavarian barn theatre heritage — a stage in a historic farm building with wooden beams and simple, yet atmospheric seating.

Grassau am Chiemsee

The market town of Grassau has around 7,000 inhabitants and is located in the southern district of Traunstein, at the transition from the Chiemgau region to the Achental valley. Grassau is known for its location on Lake Chiemsee, for the Achental valley as a hiking paradise, and for its active club structure — including, besides the Bauernbühne, a traditional costume association, a brass band, and a shooting guild. The folk theatre is a central element of Grassau's cultural identity and is complemented in the summer by the event series »Kulturleben Grassau«.