The Great Play. The Opera of Ladislas IV

April 17 – July 19, 2026.
The Royal Castle in Warsaw

For the next three months, the second floor of the Royal Castle will once again be transformed into a theatre. After 400 years, we celebrate the distinguished traditions of one of Europe’s most renowned stages: the court opera of Ladislas IV. Over one hundred artifacts associated with the opera house at the court of King Ladislas IV, borrowed from both Polish and European institutions, will be showcased from April 17 in the exhibition The Great Play: The Opera of Ladislas IV at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The exhibition presents captivating examples of painting and graphic arts, as well as period musical instruments, documents, and prints. We explore the phenomenon of the Ladislavian theatre — an extraordinary opera stage housed in the Castle’s South Wing. The Great Play reveals how an ambitious king transformed his court into a centre for breathtaking spectacles, demonstrating how art became a formidable tool of power. 

Ladislas IV Vasa, King of Poland from 1632 to 1648, was one of the most enlightened monarchs of his time. A true connoisseur of the arts, he quickly recognized that culture could serve both spiritual and political ends.

In his youth, he embarked on an extensive journey across Europe, visiting cities like Florence, Rome, Mantua, Parma, Venice, and Vienna. There, he encountered the most innovative forms of theatrical performance. Upon returning to Poland, he was resolved to establish a similar venue in Warsaw. As early as 1628, the opera Acis and Galatea was performed at the Castle, marking the beginning of the court theatre’s activities.

Situated in the South Wing of the residence, the theatre hall was later expanded and modernized by Italian architects. It soon became one of the most technologically advanced theatrical spaces in Europe.

The Great Play tells the story of an era when humanists and artists, in their quest to reconstruct the theatre of antiquity, created an entirely new quality — an operatic drama that united all fields of artistic activity. It is also a tale of a time when theatre was becoming a vital instrument of power. We illuminate this captivating chapter of Polish history through the lens of our present day. That is why the exhibition is dynamic, engaging, and multidimensional– says Dr Jacek Żukowski, the exhibition curator.

In addition to historic exhibits, the exhibition includes reconstructions and scale models of the Royal Castle’s theatre, multimedia projections, and interactive displays that illustrate the workings of the Baroque stage — all serving as a modern extension of the exhibition’s narrative.

The scenography for The Great Play is nearly an independent artistic creation in its own right. „The main design concept was to craft a narrative that references the spatial techniques of 17th-century theatre, yet brought to life through contemporary forms. Key objects and storylines are highlighted through perspective illusions, layering, plays of light, reflections, colours, projections, and sound. Within the space, we emphasize the relationships the exhibition — as a stage — forms with the King, the visitors, and the Castle itself,” says Wojciech Cichecki, the exhibition’s set designer.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is the theatre stage itself. This installation offers an interactive journey into the world of Vasa-era opera. It is a simplified reconstruction of a 17th-century stage, where theatrical mechanics create scenic illusions. Our goal was for visitors to move beyond observation and become co-creators and operators of this theatrical machine.

At the heart of the reconstruction are the rotating periaktoi, which invite visitors to change the scenery themselves. With a simple turn, the city’s architecture—representing Warsaw with elements of the Vasa Forum—transforms into a mysterious, wild garden across the river. This dramatic shift is central to the narrative: a menacing dragon nears the city, only to be confronted by the courageous Mermaid.

The immersive quality of the set is heightened by moving waves that animate the Vistula River and unique sound instruments. Inspired by the historical designs of Niccolò Sabbatini, these instruments provide an added sensory layer to the experience.

Visually, the entire stage design consistently draws on the aesthetics of antique engravings, incorporating motifs from the works of Giulio Parigi and Giovanni Battista Gisleni, explains Marta Kuliga, creator of the historical theatre stage reconstruction.

The exhibition was preceded by the 2022 release of a special issue of „The Castle Chronicles. Annals”, dedicated to early modern European court theatre, featuring contributions from Tim Carter, Richard Dutton, Marie-Claude Canova-Green, Cristina Grazioli, Teresa Chirico, Paola Besutti, Carlo Togliani, and others. In 2023, the volume Triumphant Harmony was released, presenting essays by Cristina Miatello, Marco Bizzarini, Alberto Pellegrino, Alessio Palmieri-Marinoni, Daniel M. Sáez, and Polish scholars.

A comprehensive program of accompanying events has been arranged, including meetings with the curator, guided tours, evening viewings, specialized thematic routes, and intergenerational workshops in a dedicated educational space. The program also offers tours for visitors with hearing and visual impairments, as well as museum therapy sessions for groups experiencing mental health challenges.

The exhibition is complemented by a publication featuring essays by Polish and European scholars on the theatre of Ladislas IV.