The Royal Theater is one the very few 18th-century court theatre buildings that have been preserved in Europe. The theater was opened in 1788 and bears the name of the then king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski. The theater can accommodate up to 200 spectators on the ground floor and in nine boxes located on three walls. Elements of the original decoration of the auditorium and a number of appliances used for staging plays, such as a thunder-making machine, have been preserved.
The theater is located in the eastern wing of the Old Orangery, which also hosts the Sculpture Gallery, showcasing artworks from the collection of King Stanisław August.
The Old Orangery and the Royal Theater that forms part of it are among very few 18th-century buildings that survived the German occupation and can still be visited today. Its original elements of decoration, the stage and the sculpture collection are particularly arresting. We recommend the visit not only to groups of Polish students, but also foreign visitors who wish to discover the Royal Warsaw.
The Royal Theater and the Old Orangery
