We warmly invite you to the 45th edition of the Warsaw Theatre Meetings – a festival that for years has offered audiences the chance to experience the work of exceptional theatre-makers, recognised both in Poland and internationally. We envision the Festival as a space for a wide range of events, discussions and encounters – a meeting point for artists, theatre professionals, and audiences alike. A place for the creative confrontation of aesthetics, forms, ideas, and viewpoints. This year, we aim to open the Festival even more widely – to new contexts, collaborations and the rich landscape of contemporary theatre. With this in mind, we are proud to present 18 performances from Poland and abroad, situating Polish theatre firmly within the international circuit.
In recent years – and particularly last year – both Polish and European theatre have paid close attention to BIOGRAPHIES as a theme. It has become a central point of reference for this year’s edition. We understand biographical storytelling not only as the exploration of real, past or present lives – such as in I Am Ashamed to Live in This World (directed by Wiktor Rubin), Susan Sontag (directed by Agnieszka Jakimiak and Mateusz Atman), or Stella Walsh. The Fastest Person in the World (directed by Jan Jeliński) – but also as the crafting of potential life stories, as in Peasant Women. A Tale About Us and Our Grandmothers (directed by Jędrzej Piaskowski). Biographies can also shape national identities (The Wedding, directed by Maja Kleczewska; Pan Tadeusz, directed by Kamil Białaszek), explore autofiction (I’m Homesick, directed by Radosław Maciąg; Autumn, directed by Katarzyna Minkowska), or trace the identity of places (All for Nothing, directed by Weronika Szczawińska and Piotr Wawer; Liberté [trigger warning], directed by Data Tavadze). They may take on identity itself as a subject (The Story of Sin, directed by Wojtek Rodak), or – through the merging of ancient myths with contemporary experience – explore the universal condition of being human (Medea’s Children, directed by Milo Rau).
This year’s programme also highlights a new generation of theatre-makers. Through the inclusion of a student section – showcasing diploma performances and etudes by artists at the beginning of their professional journeys – the Festival embraces new values and fresh artistic expression. The voices of Kamil Białaszek, Klaudia Gębska, Julia Nowak, Max Nowotarski and Dominika Przybyszewska offer us a glimpse into the emerging directions of contemporary Polish theatre.
The 45th Warsaw Theatre Meetings are also enriched by a vibrant programme of accompanying events – including the premiere of If I Have To, I’ll Go to War (directed by Magda Szpecht), three concerts curated by Teoniki Rożynek, and a series of debates on biography in film, literature and the visual arts. We also invite you to a brunch with the audience, post-show discussions hosted by Dr Paweł Sztarbowski, a silent disco, and a DJ set by DJ Viki.
Join us at the Gustaw Holoubek Dramatic Theatre from 17 to 31 May for the 45th edition of the Warsaw Theatre Meetings!
Wojciech Faruga, Julia Holewińska
