Stefan Starzyński, Warsaw’s legendary mayor, a symbol of resistance in September 1939, will be the main protagonist of the next original production in the Syrena Theatre. The musical is based on the biography written by Grzegorz Piątek, titled “Starzyński. Prezydent z pomnika”, and will be directed by Konrad Imiela. The premiere is set for February 28, 2026.
Every year Syrena presents two premiere productions. The first in the beginning of the year – always an original production, written and composed specifically for our theatre. The second premiere takes place in September and is a carefully selected hit show from West End and Broadway – the world capital of musicals – that is licensed by our theatre.
This year, we are premiering „On Drugs” (February 22), directed by Robert Talarczyk, and „Beetlejuice” (September 13), directed by Jacek Mikołajczyk. Now is the time to announce our plans for next year!
Syrena’s first premiere in 2026 will be “Starzyński” (working title), an original musical about the prewar mayor of Warsaw. It will be based on the critically acclaimed biography written by Grzegorz Piątek: „Starzyński. Prezydent z pomnika” (W.A.B.).
If there are musicals about Jesus and Gandhi, then why not about Starzyński? I would never have thought of bringing a book about such a monumental figure to the stage of a musical theatre. I’m curious to see what will come out of this combination. A theatre with a mermaid in its name is certainly the right place to tell the story of the most famous mayor in the city’s history.
Grzegorz Piątek
– Through musicals, the most popular theatrical genre, we engage with the audience about the world around us – sometimes the broader world, and sometimes the closer, local one – says Monika Walecka, director of the Syrena Theatre. – After the recent “Wypiór”, based on Grzegorz Uzdański’s novel, a production about the relationship struggles of contemporary Warsaw residents, we are tackling another topic connected to our capital city. This time it’s historical, but also quintessentially about Warsaw.
We were interested in Starzyński as one of the most iconic figures in the history of the city: a controversial, but effective politician; author of the vision of modern Great Warsaw, which was turned into rubble before his eyes; a heroic leader of the city’s defence in September 1939, when he didn’t flee the city like other dignitaries. He has since become a symbol of Warsaw’s tragic fate, a city nearly wiped out of the map, but saved by people like him. We thought that a fresh perspective on this figure could be provided by a director attuned to the complexities of Polish history, but from outside our city – Konrad Imiela, director of the Capitol Theatre in Wrocław. There, he has developed a unique formula for an artistic, auteur-driven musical theatre, sensitive to the issues of both contemporary times and historical events.
Jacek Mikołajczyk, Syrena’s artistic director
Both Konrad Imiela and Grzegorz Rdzak, the composer of “Starzyński”, perfectly understand the mood of interwar Poland, as evidenced by their past production for Capitol – the musical “Mock. Czarna burleska”, based on the crime novels written by Marek Krajewski.
What can audiences expect from a musical about Starzyński?
– For sure not a classic biography, describing Starzyński’s life from childhood to death – says director Konrad Imiela. – We’re interested in focusing especially on the last years of his life and work as mayor. It’s going to be a story about how history and fate force us to become a hero, even if we never say ourselves in such a role.
Creative team for “Starzyński”
Adaptation and direction – Konrad Imiela
Music and music direction – Grzegorz Rdzak
Costumes – Agata Bartos
Set design – Mateusz Karolczuk
Choreography – Jacek Gębura
Light direction – Damian Pawella
Vocal preparation – Zuzanna Falkowska
Syrena’s next premiere for 2026 – this time, a licensed musical – will be announced mid-February.
See you in Syrena!