Dream of Podgórze, or Mr Bednarski Walks to the Middle of the Bridge
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
6 March, 8:00 PM
7 March, 8:00 PM
“…But into the ocean of those sounds
I dip my pen in the ink of night
And write a letter of thanks to fate
For the touch of my Podgórze (…)”
Andrzej Sikorowski, fragment of the song “Moje Podgórze”
When a city is born, not only material structures come into being — a spirit is born as well, myths are created and the genius loci awakens. When a city is born, it begins to overflow with the energy of the community that imagined and built it so that a better life might unfold there. When the Austrian Emperor Joseph II granted Podgórze the rights of a free royal city in 1784, he also bestowed a number of privileges intended to encourage settlement at the foot of Krakus Mound. As a result, Czechs, Austrians, Germans, Jews and, of course, Poles came to Podgórze — but also, interestingly, Bulgarians. Podgórze was called the “Galician America,” a city of hope. By 1915, when it was incorporated into Kraków, it had gained a reputation as one of the most modern cities in Galicia.
The performance Dream of Podgórze, or Mr Bednarski Walks to the Middle of the Bridge is an attempt to explore the genius of this place, born from events, myths, legends and human stories. But not from a historical perspective, which might naturally be suggested by the round anniversary — the 110th anniversary of the union of Podgórze and Kraków. Instead, we decided to tell the story of the city as if it were the protagonist of a dream, at times a fairy tale, and at times simply an inspiration for creating our own variations on its theme. From this decision it followed naturally that our Dream of Podgórze… would have to be a musical performance. We asked Andrzej Sikorowski to write the songs — not only a renowned author of many hits, but also a native of Podgórze. He wrote six lyrics for us and composed music for two of them.
Throughout almost the entire performance, the original music by Aleksander Brzeziński can also be heard. This is made possible by the form of the show, which is difficult to define clearly, as it incorporates elements characteristic of opera, revue and musical theatre.
But there is no story about a city without a story about its people. In Dream of Podgórze we recall several outstanding and legendary citizens. We treat our protagonists with a slight wink, knowing that they themselves had a sense of humor during their lifetimes — even about themselves. We will tell of Antoni Mateczny’s dream, in which the Salt Springs and Healing Mud appeared to him. We will glimpse Wojciech Bednarski strolling only halfway across the bridge, because he loved Podgórze so much that he never crossed into the Kraków side. We will admire Agnieszka Jałbrzykowska, founder of a boarding school for young women and an honorary citizen of Podgórze. The Podgórze-born Toni Keczer, vocalist of the band Czerwono Czarni, will also appear. We will perform the first Podgórze opera, The Revolver of Count Starzeński. We will bring to life the heraldic figure of the Podgórze Hercules and listen to his many complaints. We will even witness a landing of aliens on Krzemionki…
We will set out on this somewhat crazy journey only to arrive, in the finale, in the present day, beneath the tenement house at Rynek Podgórski 3, where we will hear the personal confessions of one of the performance’s characters. For although for 110 years Podgórze has been “only” a district of Kraków, its character, beauty, legend and founding myth still make it a truly exceptional place. And the touch of Podgórze can still be inspiring.
The Dream of Podgórze songbook is available here.: >>>> CLICK
And meanwhile in Kraków… who could ever express your beauty… magnificent Podgórze?!
Paweł Szumiec clearly feels at home directing intimate productions in which music plays an important role alongside the spoken word. Having already staged several productions at Teatr KTO, he gathered what the theatre has to offer at its best — actors, composers, musicians, a set designer, costume designer, choreographer and producer — and created a captivating, humorous and moving story about Podgórze: its identity, its history, its pride and its distinctness from Kraków.
This sung tale about Podgórze is a pleasure to watch, and I must admit that I already feel the urge to see it again in a month or two. My heart also beat a little faster when the words about Kraków were spoken from the stage — words that were far from accidental: “And meanwhile in Kraków…” — thank you!
Andrzej Czapliński
Anyone who loves Kraków must see this performance.
The people who witnessed the union of Kraków and Podgórze are long gone. The bridge that once connected the two banks of the Vistula — where the two cities joined hands — no longer exists. The emotions have evaporated. Today it is hard to imagine Kraków without the right bank of the regulated Vistula. I cross the bridge and arrive at Teatr KTO, which rightfully and beautifully cultivates the past. It does so lightly. It does so with distance. It does so with humor. It does so remarkably. It does so with respect. Paweł Szumiec’s performance is an essential added value, a necessary complement to everyday history and an event that escapes simple evaluation. Anyone who loves Kraków must see this performance. Absolutely. A little-known yet very important story, told and sung in 80 minutes.
Krzysztof Niedźwiedzki
They perform brilliantly and sing just as well.
The band “Asy z Rękawki” — Aleksander Brzeziński, Damian Mielec and Jakub Nieć — deserves special praise (the first of them is responsible for musical direction, composing some of the pieces and arranging the others). They play brilliantly and sing just as well. It is also worth noting that the song lyrics and the composition of two pieces were written by Andrzej Sikorowski, the leader of the band Pod Budą.
The actors also rise to the occasion, finding their place in this slightly exaggerated context while winning the audience’s sympathy, genuine laughter and moments of emotion. The main acting trio consists of Katarzyna Chlebny (excellent at establishing contact with the audience), Grzegorz Łukawski and Jacek Strama. They are complemented by a choreographic-vocal trio appearing in smaller episodes: Karolina Daniec-Franczyk, Nina Potapowicz (with an outstanding, distinctive voice) and Grażyna Srebrny-Rosa.
Jarosław Ciszek – Kulturalny Konferansjer
When I think about this performance, I am above all delighted by three things.
First of all, it is remarkable how much historical knowledge can actually be conveyed in such a short time and in such an unusual format. Dream of Podgórze is not simply a story about a few legendary figures. It is a narrative in which these people, real and vivid (a great credit to the scriptwriter for the way the characters are created), tell their own stories, revealing to the audience glimpses of what their lives were like. At times, the dream blends with history, creating something truly fascinating.
Secondly, the musical setting, which definitely added charm — or perhaps even an edge — to every scene. The experience of listening to live music alone was captivating, and both the band and the actors clearly demonstrated their musical talents. What deserves special attention, however, are the songs themselves, written by Andrzej Sikorowski, which perfectly capture the atmosphere of the various Podgórze stories. Most importantly, they are incredibly catchy. There were countless moments when one felt like dancing or singing along with the characters.
And thirdly, the standing ovation at the end was by no means exaggerated. In my opinion, the cast of Teatr KTO handled this performance phenomenally. Excellent character portrayals and interpretations, numerous quick costume changes and transitions from one role to another (the costumes themselves also deserve recognition — clearly thoughtful, carefully crafted and well suited to the different historical periods), as well as beautiful expression both in voice and movement — simply nothing more could be added.
Wiktoria Krzesicka — UJOT FM
Written and directed by: Paweł Szumiec
Musical direction, original music, arrangements: Aleksander Brzeziński
Song lyrics and composition of two pieces: Andrzej Sikorowski
Set design: Marek Braun
Costumes: Jolanta Łagowska-Braun
Choreography and stage movement: Artur Dobrzański
Multimedia: Wojciech Kapela
Actor movement in mask: Krzysztof Falkowski
Voice of the Mask: Jacek Wojciechowski
Voice of the Emperor: Artur Dziurman
Assistant director: Bartek Cieniawa
Producer: Urszula Swałtek
Cast:
Katarzyna Chlebny, Grzegorz Łukawski, Jacek Strama, Karolina Daniec-Franczyk, Nina Potapowicz, Grażyna Srebrny-Rosa, Bartek Cieniawa
Music band “Asy z Rękawki”:
Aleksander Brzeziński, Damian Mielec, Jakub Nieć
In cooperation with: Muzeum Podgórza
PREMIERE:
15–16 October 2025
RUNNING TIME:
80 minutes
The performance is taking part in the 32nd National Competition for the Staging of Polish Contemporary Drama.
The National Competition for the Staging of Polish Contemporary Drama aims to reward the most interesting repertoire explorations in Polish theatre, support Polish dramaturgy in its stage productions, promote contemporary Polish drama, and broaden the scope of theatre criticism through the presence of members of the Artistic Committee at performances in theatre centres across the country and through their review activities.
The competition is organized by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw.
The competition’s artistic coordinator is Dominik Gac, and the organizational and financial coordinator is Maria Stępkowska.
