Young theatre groups discover unusual venues

Whether it's the Wieliczka saltmine near Cracow, Warsaw's central station, the Maltasee in Posen, converted swimming pools or old factories, young Polish theatre groups are discovering and using new venues beyond the traditional theatres for their plays, Aneta Kyziol reports. "Is this a new trend? Or is it just snobbishness? It's probably a mixture of both, but for more and more off-theatre groups the search for a venue is vital for their survival, a matter of to-be-or-not-to-be. The number of theatres in Poland is stagnating. The established theatre houses are not fond of the new generation and even if they are willing to let them use their stages, the rent often exceeds the means of an off-group." But Kyziol points out that there is an advantage. "These unusual venues create a unique atmosphere you wouldn't have in a 'real' theatre. They generate an excitement born of the experience of participating in something extraordinary because together with the artists, you're discovering a new world."

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