‘Shakespeare in our theatres is nothing but a lie. As we know, his plays are staged to be mentioned in the paper list to blind people's eyes with great repertory’, wrote Stefan Jaracz in 1936, one of the most famous Polish actors in the inter-war period. This bitter statement made by the performer of, among other parts, Caliban and Shylock sounds exaggerated. After the First World War Shakespeare remained one of the most appreciated ‘classics’ in our theatre. There was no stage, including those of minor importance, which would not have Shakespeare in its repertory, on many he was the most frequently performed foreign author.