Warsaw Theatres Guide: From the National Theatre to TR Warszawa

Warsaw is Poland's theatre capital, with stages that shaped Polish drama for 260 years. Here is the scene, verified from the theatres themselves.

Teatr Narodowy - the National Theatre

Founded in 1765, when the players of King Stanisław August Poniatowski gave their first performance, the National Theatre is the senior stage of Polish drama. Its current season mixes classics and premieres: Luk Perceval's The Oresteia premiered on 10 October 2026, and Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth, directed by Małgorzata Bogajewska, premieres on 14 November 2026. Selected performances, such as The Polish Thermopylae, run with English and Ukrainian surtitles.

Teatr Powszechny

In Praga Południe at Zamoyskiego 20, the Zygmunt Hübner Powszechny Theatre pairs new Polish writing with international work - its October 2026 run included farewell performances of Mein Kampf with post-show debates.

TR Warszawa and Studio

TR Warszawa is the city's best-known experimental stage, its October programme led by Laguna directed and choreographed by Paweł Sakowicz. Teatr Studio plays in the Palace of Culture and Science. For opera and ballet at Teatr Wielki next door to the National, see our opera and ballet guide; for film, the cinemas guide.