Foksal 16: getting there and what to wear

Finding Foksal 16

The address is ul. Foksal 16, 00-372 Warsaw, in the Śródmieście borough. Foksal Street runs from Nowy Świat to the Zamoyski Palace and is a dead end, so approach from the Nowy Świat side and give a taxi or ride app the street number, not just the name. The theatre sits inside the former Teatr Kameralny building. Its interiors are Art Nouveau, which the theatre compares to Toulouse-Lautrec's paintings and the La Belle Époque. The theatre opened in 2001 and calls itself the only revue theatre in Poland. It was fitted into the derelict interior of the old building, which was fully renovated, and the original opening was attended by the actress Hanka Bielicka, who cut the ribbon.

Choosing a date

Sabat does not run a fixed weekly show night. Its repertoire page lists performances date by date, month by month, and each one names the revue being staged. Check availability for your date on the booking page before you plan the rest of the trip around it. The theatre may also cancel a performance up to two days before, so confirm your date again in the days before you travel. If your trip is short, look at the calendar first and pick the evening, then book flights and hotels around it, not the other way round. If you are giving the evening as a gift, the theatre sells vouchers as single or double invitations, with or without dinner, at the box office or by email.

Read next: Sabat dinner show: tickets and how to book

How the evening runs

As the theatre describes the evening, the order runs like this: a welcome drink, dinner at your table, then the show, with dessert served at the interval. Dancing follows on the stage, with live vocalists, and the evening ends when the last guest leaves. The theatre's dancing page also mentions private occasions such as birthdays and proposals, so ask the box office if you are celebrating something. The booking listing gives a duration of about five hours. Your confirmation shows the arrival time, so work backwards from that and not from the show's start. There are bars in the building, and the theatre keeps a separate menu for ordering more food and drinks, including after the show. Plan the next morning gently, and keep your trip back simple.

What you will see

A revue is a run of musical numbers, not one story. At Sabat that means the Sabat ballet group and the theatre's vocalists, in costumes the theatre describes as feathers, rhinestones and sequins, though the programme depends on the night. Some revues are built around anniversaries of the theatre, others around interwar Warsaw songs. Founder Małgorzata Potocka trained as a dancer and choreographer, and the format comes from her work. The theatre says she acts as host of every performance and is known for direct contact with the audience. Which production you see, and who is on stage, depends on your date.

Read next: Małgorzata Potocka, In Brief

Language

The theatre does not state the show language on its pages, including its English page, which describes the evening but not the language of the stage. The main pages are written in Polish. The interwar revue revives Polish songs, and the dancing is to Polish and international hits. The GetYourGuide listing offers English for the booking. A revue relies on dance, costume and music more than spoken plot, so much of it may not depend on Polish. If you need to know exactly what is spoken or sung in English, contact the box office before you book.

What to wear

The theatre's own pages do not mention a dress code. The booking listing says to dress in smart attire for the evening. In practice, choose what you would wear to a good restaurant or the theatre: smart, comfortable clothes you can sit in for hours and dance in at the end. Dress for the weather on the walk to the door, then for the room. Coat storage is not described on the theatre's pages, so ask the box office if it matters.

Children and age

The GetYourGuide dinner ticket is not suitable for children under 10. The theatre's own pages and terms state no age limit, so for a younger child, or for any question about a particular show, call or write to the box office before booking. Also remember how long the evening runs and how late the dancing carries on. Many families will find it too much for young children, even where nothing forbids it.

Access and other questions

The theatre's pages do not describe step-free access, the cloakroom or seating for guests with limited mobility, and the individual-table rule does not apply to balcony seats. Do not assume any of these. The Contact page lists the box office phone, a mobile number and a reservations email, along with the box office's opening days, which differ from day to day, so check them before you call. On the day of the show, tickets are sold only through the box office. Ask in writing so you have the answer on file.

Before the show on Foksal Street

Foksal is older than the theatre. In the 18th century it was a pleasure garden, and a balloon flight over it in the late 1700s is recorded as Warsaw's first. The name is a Polish form of Vauxhall, after the London gardens. Before 1939 the actor Eugeniusz Bodo lived on the street, at number 17, and opened a fashionable café there. The Zamoyski Palace, built in the late 19th century, stands at the far end.

Getting home

The evening ends when the last guest leaves, so expect to travel back late. Decide how you will get back to your hotel before the show, and use a taxi or ride app with the street number, as you did on arrival. If you are staying close by, you may simply walk, but take the late hour and the weather into account. Do not plan an early start the next day.

Who this isn't for

If you want a quiet dinner, this is not it: the music is live and the room is built around a stage. If you need a short evening, this is not it either, since the listing gives about five hours. And if you need a guaranteed answer on language, access or children under 10, the theatre's pages will not give you one, so ask the box office before you pay. Visitors who just want to see Warsaw's streets at night can stop at Foksal and walk on.