Theatre: Katowice

Theatre in Katowice: the Silesian Theatre by the Market Square, puppet Ateneum, independent Żelazny and small stages in old cinemas.

Six addresses with a stage, each of a different character. All are indoors, so they work when it pours outside. A fuller choice sits under theatres in Silesia, while the city at large is covered under Katowice sights.

Which theatre in Katowice should I choose for an evening out?

Three stages cater to grown-up audiences: the big Silesian Theatre, the small Teatr Bez Sceny and the independent Teatr Żelazny. They differ in scale rather than ambition.

The big reference point is the Stanisław Wyspiański Silesian Theatre, the largest drama stage of Upper Silesia. Its seat is an early twentieth-century building in the neoclassical style, standing by the Katowice Market Square. It went up to a design by the government master builder Carl Moritz, and inside there are three stages. Among the offerings you will also find performances in the Silesian ethnolect. The story of the building and the changes of the theatre's name is told in an article about Moritz's building and its patron Wyspiański. Smaller in size is Teatr Bez Sceny from the city centre. The company began work in the second half of the 1990s, and contemporary comedies and dramas rule its playbill. It has won ten nominations for the Golden Masks and five awards. Outside the centre, in Załęże, performs Teatr Żelazny. It is an independent company run as an association, and its temporary hall seats a hundred and thirty-nine.

Where should I go with a child?

First choice is the puppet Ateneum in the city centre. The repertoire of this stage is addressed mainly to the youngest viewers.

The Ateneum Theatre has existed since 1945, which makes it one of the oldest puppet companies in Poland. For decades its artistic shape came from visual artists serving as directors, and the festival "Katowice - Dzieciom" returns to its calendar. Younger audiences will also find something at Teatr Żelazny, which besides repertoire for adults runs theatre education classes.

In what interiors do Katowice theatres perform beyond the classic playhouse?

Two addresses began as cinemas: Rialto in the centre and Old Timers Garage in Piotrowice. The stage shares space there with other kinds of activity.

The Rialto Cinema-Theatre opened in January 1913 as the Kammerlichtspiele cinema, and today it is run by Silesia Film, a cultural body answering to the regional government. Its main business is an art-house film programme, but concerts also sound from the stage, and plays and meetings take place in the hall. The facade is classicist. In Piotrowice, Old Timers Garage occupies the hall of the former Piast cinema, restored with its original layout. Next to the theatre and music club, a part of a collection of old cars is on show.

Frequently asked questions

Which stage counts as the biggest?

The Silesian Theatre is regarded as the largest drama stage of Upper Silesia. Its building by the Market Square contains as many as three stages.

Where do I take toddlers to a show?

Best to Ateneum, the puppet theatre in the city centre. Children's performances are also given by Teatr Żelazny in Załęże.

Can I see a play in a former cinema in Katowice?

You can, in two places. Old Timers Garage occupies an old cinema from the 1930s, and Rialto still works as a cinema, only with a stage added.

What about independent theatre?

That is the formula of Teatr Żelazny. For some years it has used a former school building on ulica Gliwicka, rented from the city.