Interview: Konrad Imiela About Musical Theatres in Poland and Wroclaw

Spring is just around the corner, bringing a sense of renewal and fresh perspectives. I decided to check in on the pulse of Wrocław’s theatrical scene. And what better place to do so than at Capitol Theatre? Konrad Imiela, its long-time director and a defining figure of the venue, sat down with me to talk about the magic of theatre, what makes Wrocław’s stage unique, and what shaped his musical opinions. As a resident of the city and a regular in this theatre, I thought I knew Capitol inside and out—but this conversation proved otherwise. My visit lasted for 2 hours, this is a small taste of what we talked about. 

Does a different audience come to a musical theater than to a dramatic theater?

I think musical theater gives the impression from the start that it will be more communicative for the audience. So yes, musical theaters do attract a group that might be more skeptical about dramatic theater. But on the other hand, I have also met viewers who don't like having so much music in theater and are loyal to dramatic productions. However, musical theater is certainly associated with art that—I don’t want to say easier—but more communicative.

So, when someone uses a song in theater, we, as viewers, are already familiar with the show, it already has us, it has won us over—the connection is faster.

I know people who love music but can’t stand musicals, saying that it feels unnatural to them. I know that you distinguish between musical theater and musicals.

You know, when it comes to my opinion on musicals, it was shaped primarily in Poland. I saw a number of Polish musicals in the '90s, and what irritated me was the really weak acting. The fact that we treat acting, this stage truth, as something secondary.

At some point, I completely dismissed musicals for myself.

Then I went to Broadway and suddenly saw several musicals where everything just worked. I saw, I don’t know, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, Hair, and everything was right. They were truly excellent actors!

How do you assess the current situation of musical theater in Poland? What are the challenges, if any? Or can we afford to do anything we want?

Today's times are a challenge for musical theaters because musicals have become so widespread. Every respected dramatic theater now wants to have a musical in its repertoire. Songs have been sung in almost every dramatic play for a long time.

What does this mean for musical theaters? In my opinion, musical theaters should be the pioneers of new ideas for musicals and musical performances. We should boldly explore and experiment. The theater also has to experiment—otherwise, we would remain stagnant. Theater must seek new forms.

Do you research your audience? Do you have focus groups that provide feedback? Does something like that happen in Poland?

No. Or—I don’t know, maybe it happens somewhere in Poland, but in Capitol, we don’t do that. However, it depends on the openness of directors to such approaches.

We were raised in a different tradition—the European theater tradition. In fact, Polish theater is a director’s theater, not a producer’s theater. American theater is a producer’s theater, which is why the producer's perspective is the most important one. The goal is to create a maximally communicative show that satisfies the audience.

Polish theater, however, is built on directorial visions, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. For example, I personally love having pre-premiere performances, but when I talk to directors in Capitol about it, it’s difficult to convince them. That would be the first step—to invite a focus group about a month before the premiere to see an early run of the show.

But this kind of tradition doesn’t exist in Poland, nor is there much openness to such approaches. In the tradition of Polish dramatic theater, the most that can be done is to invite an audience to the second or third dress rehearsal.

[…]

There is also the issue of audience education—elevating the audience. I feel that I understand the Capitol’s audience. I could, of course, offer them much simpler things. But a turning point for me was the reopening of the theater after its renovation in 2013.

At that moment, we opened the most well-equipped theater building in Poland—at the time. Today, that might not be the case, but back then, it was. We had fantastic technical possibilities. We opened a new stage.

And many people advised me to take The Phantom of the Opera, take Mamma Mia, take a Broadway hit. You’ll have guaranteed success, you won’t have to worry about anything. But that wasn’t what Capitol was about.

So I decided on The Master and Margarita directed by Wojciech Kościelniak.

[…]

And the truth is, after playing about 140 performances of The Master and Margarita over the years, we could schedule a show at 6 a.m. on Easter Sunday, and we would still have a full house. So it was a successful choice, one that the audience understood. I never once heard anyone say, We would have preferred Mamma Mia.

Now, I try to shape the repertoire and select creators for these productions in a way that combines artistic value with audience expectations. Ultimately, audience demand is best measured by attendance.

If we close every season with an average attendance of at least 90%—in a 700-seat theater—then that means people want to come to Capitol theater.

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Our conversation was not only a journey through the past but also a glimpse into the future of theatre in Wrocław. One thing is certain—Capitol is not just a theatre; it’s a place that constantly evolves, challenges its audience, and stays ahead of the curve. And if this talk has taught me anything, it’s that there’s always something new to discover behind the curtain.

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