Venue: Arlekin Puppet Theatre
Town: Old Polesie in Łódź, PL

Arlekin Puppet Theatre, officially named Henryk Ryl Arlekin Puppet Theatre in Łódź, is a puppet theatre in Łódź, Poland. The theatre was founded by Henryk Ryl, who also served as its first director. On 13 July 1948, the Ministry of Culture and Arts granted Ryl permission to establish a puppet theatre in Łódź. The theatre's first venue was at 150 Piotrkowska Street. Its debut performance, Dwa Michały i świat cały (Two Michaels and the Whole World), written by Henryk Ryl, premiered on 28 December 1948. The second production, Kolorowe piosenki (Colourful Songs), was long considered a "model performance for the youngest audience". On 23 October 1949, the play Wesoła maskarada (Merry Masquerade) introduced an actor in a mask on stage for the first time. The theatre also began offering performances for adults, such as Tamara Gabbe's Dzielny gród (Brave City) and Molière's Lekarz mimo woli (The Doctor in Spite of Himself). On 1 January 1950, the theatre was nationalized. In 1955, the Piotrkowska Street venue was closed for failing to meet safety standards, and performances moved to a building at 5 Wólczańska Street. Since 1962, the theatre has been the sole occupant of this building. On 24 July 1961, the theatre hosted the first meeting of the Polish Puppetry Centre of the International Puppetry Union (POLUNIMA), with Jan Sztaudynger elected as chairman. Since its establishment in 1961, POLUNIMA has been based at 2 1 Maja Avenue. In 1959, the theatre premiered Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński's Młynek do kawy (The Coffee Grinder), with set design by Stanisław Fijałkowski, featuring inanimate objects as protagonists. Henryk Ryl served as director and artistic director until 1964, then as artistic director until 1974, and later as a director and programme consultant until 1978. His final directed production was Marcinek zuch (Brave Marcinek) in 1982. In 1964, Regina Elkan became director, during which time the theatre gained ownership of the Wólczańska Street building. In 1974,