She was born in Łódź, only to swim to Warsaw after three years. Over the years, it entertained audiences with revues and farces, experimented with drama, and in recent seasons has become one of the most important musical theatre stages in Poland. Here’s Syrena. The Syrena Theatre in Warsaw.
80 years have passed since the first premiere in 1945. Syrena was established by a group of artists from the prewar cabaret, led by Jerzy Jurandot and Stefania Grodzieńska. Warsaw was a city ruined after the Second World War, so it was decided that the theatre will first open in Łódź. The name “Syrena” (mermaid/siren) combined the old and the new – Warsaw traditions intertwined with the daily life of Łódź, unfolding to the rhythm of factory sirens. After three years, in 1948, the theatre was moved to Warsaw, on 3 Litewska street, were it remains until today.
For decades, Syrena specialized in programmes consisting of songs, monologues, and sketches. They were performed by such stars as Adolf Dymsza, Alina Janowska, Irena Kwiatkowska, Hanka Bielicka, Bohdan Łazuka, Violetta Villas, or Irena Santor. The theatre began featuring revues, musical comedies, farces, and even dramatic repertoire. Under its current management, Syrena has transformed in recent seasons into a musical theatre. You can read more about our history here.
– During the 75th anniversary of our theatre, we focused on our history and identity, for instance in the form of the album “Brylanty” and two exhibitions. Today, for our 80th anniversary, we want to turn attention to the present and future, both of our theatre as well as the surrounding world – states Monika Walecka, Syrena’s director.
This is reflected in the nature of the theatre’s anniversary projects. The 300-plus-page calendar „80 Years Around Syrena” for the jubilee year 2025 includes entries from its history, a narrative about daily life at the theatre, and over a hundred photographs by Krzysztof Bieliński, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Syrena functions today. Some of these photographs became part of our new exhibition, which can be viewed in the foyer. Syrena also launched a virtual tour around the theatre, in which it presents the people working in the theatre without whom there would be no show: wardrobe attendants, sound technicians, lighting technicians, a seamstress, stagehands, and prop masters, etc. The tour is available here: www.teatrsyrena.pl/od-kulis.
What else are we planning for Syrena in the upcoming twelve months?
– In our jubilee year we want to offer our Audiences the most interesting and unique titles of our theatre – promises Jacek Mikołajczyk, Syrena’s artistic director. And lists: – We’re preparing two premieres: “On Drugs”, an original musical production, addressing the socially important issue of drug addition, and the marvellous Broadway hit, “Beetlejuice”. It’s a top-tier title from the playbills of the world’s most prestigious musical theatres, an adaptation of Tim Burton’s iconic film – adds Mikołajczyk. The show is being co-produced by Teatr Rozrywki in Chorzów.
“On Drugs” is directed by Robert Talarczyk and is set to premiere on February 22. You can read more on the topic here. In turn, Jacek Mikołajczyk is directing the licensed-based “Beetlejuice”, which will premiere on September 13. You can read more about the show here. But our anniversary plans are not only new shows!
– We’ll be organizing a series of concerts in cooperation with the Sródmieście district, who is a partner of our jubilee – says Jacek Mikołajczyk. – We are planning to bring back the applauded concert “Divas of all time”, and present a new concert in June. And the next one in December. It will be a special jubilee concert, dedicated to the history of Syrena, its great stars, and what has been happening in our theatre in recent years. It will be directed by Tadeusz Kabicz. Additionally, audiences will once again have the opportunity to meet their favourite actors and actresses in exceptional circumstances during musical recitals held on the Bistro stage. Marta Burdynowicz will perform on January 18, followed by another planned musical recital by Edyta Krzemień in a later date, as well as other performances by artists invited to join the casts of our newest productions.
In its anniversary year, Syrena will also continue its educational and popularizing efforts on the topic of musicals, including another edition of the Mikromusical cycle, as well as new episodes of the podcast „Nawet lubię musicale”.