Teatr Ludowy in Kraków

Teatr Ludowy stands on the Teatralne housing estate in Nowa Huta and is one of the most important dramatic theatres in Kraków. The building from the mid-1950s was built together with the new district, and today the theatre performs in three places: in Nowa Huta and on the Main Market Square.

How the theatre in Nowa Huta came about

The theatre opened on 3 December 1955 with a premiere of "Krakowiacy i Górale" by Wojciech Bogusławski. It was preceded by the amateur workers' theatre "Nurt", which operated in 1952-1954. The stage thus began work while Nowa Huta was still being built, and from the start it was meant to serve the residents of the new town.

The first director was Krystyna Skuszanka (1955-1963). After her the theatre was run by, among others, Józef Szajna, Irena Babel, Waldemar Krygier, Ryszard Filipski, Henryk Giżycki and Jerzy Fedorowicz, who ran the stage in 1989-2005.

A building designed by the Ingardens

The building was designed by Janusz Ingarden, Marta Ingarden and Jan Dąbrowski. It is a Socialist Realist structure, built on a square plan, with the volume of the stage clearly projecting above the entrance. The interiors have marble floors, crystal chandeliers and decor referring to the Empire style.

The building is entered in the heritage register of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. The auditorium of the main stage has an amphitheatre layout and seats more than three hundred people.

Three stages

The Large Stage (Duża Scena) is in the building at osiedle Teatralne 34. The Stolarnia Stage, opened in 2004, operates on the ground floor of the same building. The third, Scena Pod Ratuszem, is in the cellars of the town hall tower at Rynek Główny 1, right next to the Main Market Square.

According to the theatre's website the repertoire includes performances for adults and for children. The theatre also organises the Opening Festival and runs the Theatre Institute of Young People (Teatralny Instytut Młodych) at osiedle Teatralne 23.

Nowa Huta and the surroundings

It is a few kilometres from here to the centre of Kraków. If there is time after a performance, the Polish Aviation Museum lies about three kilometres away. In the historic centre, about seven kilometres from here, is the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre.

Practical information

• Large Stage: osiedle Teatralne 34, Kraków-Nowa Huta.
• Scena Pod Ratuszem: Rynek Główny 1.
• The box office of each stage has separate hours, usually open from Tuesday to Saturday, and on Sunday for two hours before a performance. Check the repertoire and hours on the theatre's website before your visit.
• The booking office is open on working days during the day; the contact is given on the theatre's website.
• The site is marked as partly accessible to wheelchair users. It is worth confirming this with the box office before you arrive.