Wrocławski Teatr Lalek, Wrocław

Behind the ornate façade is Wrocławski Teatr Lalek, a puppet theatre housed in what began as the Christian Merchants’ Association club building on Theatre Square. Its setting links the theatre with the Old Town Garden and the public baths nearby. The structure took shape during the late nineteenth century and gained a substantial enlargement during the following decade, following Albert Grau’s designs; its Neo-Baroque manner revives the lavish drama of Baroque architecture.

The theatre itself began work after the war, concentrating on young audiences and taking puppet shows out to Lower Silesian villages. Its work has since broadened to include productions for adults. Inside, the venue has a large auditorium for two hundred and fifty people, alongside more intimate spaces seating eighty and sixty.

The building’s decorative surface gives a playful institution an unexpectedly grand home. The neighbouring garden became a renewed setting for the theatre’s open-air programme, bringing performances beyond the enclosed stages.