Sonja Anders will be director of the Thalia Theater in Hamburg from August 1, 2025. The 57-year-old succeeds Joachim Lux, who has managed the house at Alstertor since 2009. Born in Hamburg, she is currently the director of the Hanover Theatre.

"Sonja Anders convinced the selection committee with creative ideas for a sensual theater of the future. Together with the management team and the great ensemble, she will continue to expand the Thalia Theater as a place where socially relevant topics come to the stage and that in the city can be heard," said Hamburg's Senator for Culture, Carsten Brosda (SPD). Anders is the first woman in the more than 175-year history of the house to run the theatre.

In addition to the Hamburg theaters Kampnagel, Deutsches Schauspielhaus and Thalia Theater, Anders worked at the Staatstheater Stuttgart and the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, among others. Since the 2019/20 season she has been director of the Schauspiel Hannover, which has been invited to several renowned theater festivals under her direction. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and to returning to my hometown and a house with many good memories," said Anders.

The Thalia Theater with space for around 1,000 spectators is, together with the Deutsches Schauspielhaus, the most important theater in Hamburg. The directors included Boy Gobert (1969-1980), Jürgen Flimm (1985-2000) and Ulrich Khuon (2000-2009).