Variété Theatre
Kraków Artists: Music
A music theatre, a cultural institution of the city, at Grzegórzecka Street 71, founded by Janusz Szydłowski and established by decision of the Kraków City Council on 30 April 2014. It is housed in the building of the former Związkowiec cinema-theatre; the auditorium seats 364 and the stage has a movable platform and a trapdoor. The repertoire consists of musicals, musical and comedy shows, revues and musical concerts. Premieres included "Legally Blonde" on 31 May 2015, directed by Janusz Józefowicz.
History
The Kraków Variété Theatre is a musical theatre and a municipal cultural institution, set up by a resolution of Kraków City Council on 30 April 2014. It was founded by Janusz Szydłowski, who became its director. In July 2025, after the first competition for the post in the theatre's history, Kamila Polit took over as director. The theatre is based in Grzegórzki, at 71 Grzegórzecka Street, in the building of the former Związkowiec cinema-theatre.
The building was put up in 1938 as the Social House of the Zieleniewski Works, and in 1948-1952 it was extended and modernised to a design by the architect Zbigniew Solawa. It was meant to serve the factory workers and host special occasions; it contained an auditorium and a cinema hall. It is an example of pre-war Modernism and is listed in the Register of Historic Monuments. In the first half of the 1950s Kraków's Satirists' Theatre performed here.
Today the auditorium seats 364, the foyer is on two levels, and the stage has a moving platform and a trapdoor. The repertoire includes musicals, musical and comedy shows, revues and musical concerts. Premieres have included "Legally Blonde" (31 May 2015, directed by Janusz Józefowicz) and "Chicago", directed by Wojciech Kościelniak (2017). Because of the pandemic, "Pretty Woman - The Musical" premiered on 28 November 2020 to an empty auditorium, and audiences saw it for the first time on 13 February 2021.
Did you know?
The band Maanam played in the auditorium of the former Związkowiec cinema-theatre: on 8 December 1986 and once more in 1994.