On 12th December, we were staging the musical Kolęda Nocka at the Music Theatre in Gdynia. Performers from outside Gdańsk were staying at the Grand Hotel in Sopot. That night, I was woken up by a phone call from Halina Frąckowiak, who told me to look out the window. There were lines of uniformed men outside.
A moment later, I heard a knock at the door. A uniformed policeman demanded my ID, and one of two people dressed in camouflage uniforms looked under my bed, checked the wardrobe and the bathroom, but not behind the curtains, which surprised me. When they left, I heard the bang and shuffle of moving furniture all around. I knew that the delegates of the Solidarity National Committee were being looked for, as they were also staying at the Grand Hotel.
In the morning, during breakfast at the hotel restaurant, there were only artists and scared waiters. The telephones didn’t work, so Halina and I went to the theatre, since we were to perform again this Sunday. A morning performance for children was in progress, but our evening performances were cancelled.
We came back to Warsaw hitch-hiking – in a Mercedes which drifted and scuffed a lamppost. The train to Warsaw was scheduled after curfew, so we were afraid we’d be arrested on the way to the platform. However, we arrived safely, even though not only tickets, but also documents were checked. My dog also suffered, because the curfew eliminated his late evening walks.
Paweł Huelle, photo: Michał Szlaga / Przekrój / East News 
