‘There are less and less opportunities for us to experience together, and this rising isolation contributes to stereotypes and prejudices becoming established opinions’, says Katharina Reinthaller, co-director of the Voila! Theatre Festival. ‘Theatre for me is always a conversation, regardless whether I am the audience member or the artist. We want to counter this and create a space where people can meet, get to know each other, and experience.’
Speaking with Reinthaller and her co-director Fae Fichtner, it becomes clear that Voila! is not only a showcase; it is a response to our current cultural climate.
Looking over the sheer scale of their 2026 programme, the ambition is staggering. 101 shows. 450 artists. 60 languages. All sprawling across eight London venues over three weeks this November.
Since its inception in 2012, Voila! has evolved from a singular hub at Marylebone’s The Cockpit into a multi-venue beast. Backed by Arts Council England, it now routinely shatters its own ticket sales records. Yet the festival’s grassroots, defiant ethos remains firmly intact. Fichtner, Reinthaller, and festival producer Dave Wybrow are curating more than just a fringe event. They are building a sanctuary for border-busting art.
What does it mean to stage ‘panlingual’ theatre?
The festival describes itself not as multilingual, but as ‘panlingual’.
‘The word “multi” suggests that elements exist next to each other, but not interacting or communicating much’, Reinthaller explains. ‘For us, panlingual describes the ethos of the festival, both literal and more metaphorical, best. A place that is always evolving and moving, where languages and people meet and exchange, mix, discover and create new inventions together—whilst still being rooted in their own selves.’
Fichtner views the term as a liberation of form, allowing artists to bypass traditional linguistic barriers. ‘Panlingual also strengthens our outlook of platforming shows where language goes beyond the spoken word’, she says. ‘We want to give space for artists to represent themselves and their cultural heritage using the aesthetic and language they feel their work needs.’
The resulting 2026 programme is a sprawling showcase of aesthetic variety. You might find yourself watching an existential tragicomedy enacted entirely with real sweets and small lights—Italian company Batisfera’s acclaimed The Gummy Bears’ Great War at the Etcetera Theatre. You might be immersed in a Polish family folk rock musical (Basilitrix at Upstairs at the Gatehouse), or plunged into Taiwanese diaspora mythology via Penang Hokkien and Mandarin (Lament of the Wandering Head by Sun Son Theatre at Barons Court). Over half the programme is performed in English alongside at least one other language, and surtitles ensure accessibility remains a priority.
Making art for the community, not just the critic
One of the most potent aspects of Voila! is its dedication to audiences who are often ignored by the British theatrical establishment.
“I was probably one of the only non-Ukrainian people there—but this show was not made for me.” — Katharina Reinthaller
‘Theatre can sometimes make people feel like they don’t belong or that it is not for them’, Reinthaller notes. She recalls attending a sold-out performance by the Shum Ukrainian Theatre Community (who return this year with Heaven to Earth Plus at The Space). The show was performed primarily in Ukrainian with only fragments of English.
‘I felt very privileged to be experiencing the performance’, she says. ‘I was probably one of the only non-Ukrainian people there—but this show was not made for me. It was made by Ukrainian artists for the Ukrainian community. I think it is very important to hold spaces for the different local communities, but this is only possible if we keep inviting the artists from those communities into theatre spaces.’
How does fringe theatre respond to a divided political climate?
It is, of course, impossible to discuss a migrant-led, international festival in 2026 without acknowledging the increasingly fractured world beyond the theatre doors.
‘Migrants have often been used as scapegoats for economical problems with the support of political powers over the last years’, Fichtner states bluntly. ‘Voila! offers space for migrant artists to be creative and bold as well as showcasing how beautiful diversity can be. We hope there is someone out there who stumbles over the festival’s programme and finds themselves and their native language represented, and as a result goes to the theatre for the first time in years.’
She is under no illusions about the immediate impact of a theatre festival on global politics, but remains steadfast in its micro-level power. ‘None of that can change the current uprising of right wing movements, but maybe it can create a bit more community, shared experiences and hope.’
Why is the British mainstream still struggling with international voices?
“We want to show that bringing international work doesn’t need to mean flying someone in.” — Fae Fichtner
London’s cultural landscape contains a glaring contradiction. The city speaks over 250 languages, yet the work staged in its biggest, brightest venues rarely reflects this. I ask them why the mainstream remains so stubbornly insular.
‘Programming international work can be expensive and risky’, Fichtner concedes. The logistics of visas, border regulations, travel, and accommodation are often prohibitive, especially as commercial theatres battle their own rising operational costs. ‘But we want to show that bringing international work doesn’t need to mean flying someone in. Supporting a migrant artist can create the same magic on stage.’
Reinthaller is pointed in her critique of the industry’s failure to utilise the talent already residing within the UK. ‘I think what bigger venues could definitely improve on is representation. There are so many brilliant migrant artists living in the UK, bringing a wealth of experience and skills… and they usually speak multiple languages. We are here, but yet I don’t see enough of us in creative teams or on the stage.’
How grassroots festivals survive sparse funding
Nobody needs to be told that survival in the fringe sector requires relentless pragmatism.
‘The reality is that barely anyone can survive in the arts at the moment’, Fichtner says. ‘Funding is sparse and many have other jobs, Katharina and I included.’
‘And it is exhausting’, Reinthaller adds. ‘For migrant artists there are always additional costs—financial and emotional. There are visa and NHS surcharges, there is being far away from friends and family. That’s why it is even more important to keep creating a community, where people have a safety net.’
They maintain that safety net by keeping their growth sustainable, ensuring registration fees remain low, and offering practical survival tools like marketing workshops and one-to-one drop-in sessions for artists. They also rely on vital partnerships. The Theatre Deli residency programme provides financial support and rehearsal space—this year championing Romeo Lau’s BLONDIE BLUE EYES at the Canal Cafe Theatre. Meanwhile, the inaugural Instituto Cervantes x Voila! Grant is supporting Hispanic artists, including the Nessuno Collective from Argentina, Chile, and Spain.
As Voila! marks its fifteenth edition, the focus remains locked on local connection. Fichtner dreams of offering direct commissions, and has a compelling structural ambition for the future of their ticketing.
‘There is the dream to create a “bring your elderly neighbour” scheme for our tickets’, Fichtner says. ‘Where we invite people to bring a local person who may not have seen their language represented on stage in years to come along. That neighbour is our dream audience member—the person no marketing could catch, only the community.’
When I ask what ultimately ties this vast, wildly disparate programme of 101 shows together, their answers serve as the perfect manifesto for the festival itself.
‘They are sharing a piece of their tradition, their culture, their identity’, Reinthaller concludes. ‘In the way that they feel it needs to be shared to connect to the world.’
Fichtner is even more succinct. ‘Hope for a world where art remains free to take any inspiration it wants.’
Featured Image: Collage of Voila! Theatre Festival 2026 Show Posters
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