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The History of National Theatre at Google Cultural Institute

The exhibition 250 years of The National Theatre of Poland recounts the troubled history of the National Stage of Poland in a wide selection of illustrations and audio-visual materials.

From its outset, the history of the National Theatre of Poland has been inextricably tied to the fate of the nation. Therefore, we present the pivotal moments of its activity in the years 1765-2015 in the context of actual historical events. Throughout the years of Poland’s dependence on neighbouring empires, the Theatre served as the last national institution to preserve Polish culture, promoting a brilliant repertoire and excellent acting despite censorship.
In the interwar period, the playhouse in Theatre Square returned to its original name – the National Theatre. During World War II, its building was destroyed twice by air strikes. After the war, the Polish Army carried out its reconstruction. As a result of Poland being a satellite state of the Soviet Union, the directors of the theatre had to face not only its long-standing, powerful tradition but also unfavourable political conditions. In consequence, the theatre was a site of important social events which shaped the course of history and raised national consciousness. The most striking example are the events surrounding the performance of Forefathers’s Eve in 1968.

The exhibition commemorates the successful efforts of Wojciech Bogusławski, “the father of the National theatre”. It also focuses on legendary actors and their great roles: Helena Modrzejewska, Alojzy Żółkowski, Ludwik Solski, Juliusz Osterwa, Irena Eichlerówna, Gustaw Holoubek. The most important authors and directors such as Erwin Axer, Wilam Horzyca, Kazimierz Dejmek, Adam Hanuszkiewicz are also portrayed.

The final parts of the exhibition document the recent history of the national stage since its 1997 reopening – the building was destroyed by fire in 1985 and its reconstruction took eleven years.  Here, the accomplishments of the directors Jerzy Grzegorzewski (1997–2003) and Jan Englert (from 2003 until today) are recognised.

The exhibition also features spoken word recordings of historically significant texts written by Bogusławski, Modrzejewska, Osterwa, Horzyca, Dejmek, Hanuszkiewicz and Grzegorzewski, which are read by the National Theatre actors: Danuta Stenka, Marek Barbasiewicz, Mariusz Bonaszewski, Jan Frycz, Janusz Gajos, Jerzy Radziwiłowicz and Krzysztof Wakuliński.

The exhibition has been created by the National Theatre in collaboration with the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute.

Visit the online exhibition at Google Cultural Institute → 

  • OTHER DELIGHTS

    Other Delights by Jerzy Pilch directed by Jacek Głomb. With artful phrasing, Pilch tells an ordinary story of extraordinary love. Premiere – 7 December 2024.  


  • FAUST

    Faust by Goethe – one of the greatest masterpieces of European culture. The play, directed by Wojciech Faruga, premieres on October 26, 2024.

  • FEBLIK

    Feblik (Old Polish for an ‘infatuation’), surprising drama by Małgorzata Maciejewska received the Tadeusz Różewicz Drama Award. The spectacle directed by Lena Frankiewicz. 

  • A DREAM PLAY

    After the well-received Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Sławomir Narloch returned to the National Theatre with another premiere – A Dream Play by Strindberg.

     

  • KING LEAR

    King Lear may be Shakespeare's boldest examination of human nature. Jan Englert plays the title role. The tragedy directed by Grzegorz Wiśniewski. 

  • WAITING FOR GODOT

    Piotr Cieplak directs Waiting for Godot by Beckett. Is this a classic yet? Does it still have its avant-garde power? And, are we still waiting?


  • FREDRO. THE JUBILEE YEAR

    To celebrate 230 years since Aleksander Fredro's birth, the National Theatre invites you to an evening dedicated to the life and works of Poland’s greatest comedy writer. 

  • TALES FROM THE VIENNA WOODS

    Vienna in economic crisis and its lost inhabitants; portrait of the society in which fascism is born. Małgorzata Bogajewska directs Ödön von Horváth's 1931 drama.

  • THE THEATRE MAKER

    The play by Thomas Bernhard, one of the most outstanding playwrights of the second half of the 20th century. In the title role – Jerzy Radziwiłowicz. 

  • ALICE'S WONDERLAND

    Have you ever quarreled with the Time or visited a forest where things have no names? The musical performance based on the famous novels by Lewis Carroll. 

  • THE MISANTHROPE

    Jan Englert stages a classic play by Molière. What is Alcest's misanthropy: an uncompromising commitment to the truth or a doomed uprising against social conventions?

  • THE BOOKS OF JACOB

    Staging the most important novel by Polish Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk directed by Michał Zadara. 

  • THE DECALOGUE

    An iconic work of Polish cinema, rethought thirty-five years after its creation. Wojciech Faruga directs The Decalogue by Krzysztof Kieślowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz. 


  • MARY STUART

    Grzegorz Wiśniewski returns to the classic drama about human passions interwoven in a ruthless machinery of history and intrigue.

  • MÜNCHHAUSEN FOR ADULTS

    Maciej Wojtyszko directs his own play about Baron von Münchhausen, a famous adventurer and swindler.


  • Solidarity with Ukraine | Солідарні з Україною

    The ensemble of the National Theatre stands in solidarity with the Ukrainians who are fighting for the independence of their homeland.

  • PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK

    The new theatrical version of the Australian prose classics directed by Lena Frankiewicz. In the role of Mrs Appleyard – Ewa Wiśniewska.


  • SNAKE SKIN

    Artur Urbański directs his own play which main character is Ruth Berlau, one of Bertolt Brecht's closest associates and life companions.


  • AUTUMN SONATA

    A theatrical version of the famous film by Ingmar Bergman directed by Grzegorz Wiśniewski. Danuta Stenka as Charlotte.


  • MOTHER JOAN OF ANGELS

    How does evil arise that we do not understand?Mother Joan of Angles by Iwaszkiewicz directed by Wojciech Faruga. 


  • The National Theatre at Google Cultural Institute

    Virtual exhibition 250 Years of Teatr Narodowy (National Theatre of Poland) is available online at Google Cultural Institute.


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