Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre

The leading figure in the project to construct the new theatre is Jerzy Limon,[1] a founder of the Gdańsk Shakespeare Festival.[2] It was built by architect Renato Rizzi in the light of Limon's research which suggests that the Fencing School was modelled on the Fortune Playhouse in London.[3] The excavations found remnants of timber posts dating from the 1630s, which according to Limon were the result of a documented renovation of the theatre in 1635.In 2004 the Foundation initiated an architectural competition for the new theatre, won in January 2005 by Italian architect Renato Rizzi.[7] For 2014 only, the start of the Shakespeare Festival was moved from August to 27 September, to follow the theatre's opening week.Though taking account of the discoveries regarding the earlier theatre, and similarly having three storeys of galleries, the playhouse is not an exact reproduction.
The Fencing School (shown on the right), engraving by Peter Willer published in 1687
fly towerDramatic theatreGdańskCoordinatesPolishShakespeareanEnglish Renaissance theatreJerzy LimonGdańsk Shakespeare FestivalFortune PlayhouseKönigsbergWarsawElblągSt. Dominic's FairGreat SynagogueCharles, Prince of WalesDonald TuskzlotysShakespeare's GlobeHamletPrince WilliamCatherine, Duchess of CambridgePolandGermanyanthracitebuttressedBlack Boxthrust stageproscenium stagetheatre in the roundThe GuardianThe StageGazeta WyborczaPolish Radio External ServiceArchitectural Review