The performance, directed by Grzegorz Warchoł premieres on the stage of Warsaw’s Szóste Piętro Theatre on December 10th, 2011, with actress Dorota Segda playing the role of Francesca. The actor regards December 13th, 1961 as the date of his debut as an actor. 50 years ago the sixteen-year-old Olbrychski appeared in director Andrzej Konic’s TV Youth Poetry Studio reciting fragments of Julian Tuwim’s poetry masterpiece "Polish Flowers".
"Since that moment I’ve been earning my living as a professional actor", says Daniel Olbrychski, adding that the instatement of Martial Law in Poland on December 13, 1981 spoiled the 20th anniversary celebration of his work as an actor.
I wasn’t playing a show on that day, I just wanted to organise a banquet. Apart from my Polish friends I invited the European artists I collaborated with, for example Claude Lelouch and Volker Schlöndorff. We booked one of the restaurants in the Old Town - there weren’t many at the time, we booked tickets for the guests from Paris, Berlin and Moscow and when in the morning I wanted to make sure everything was ready I found the phone line was dead. And on TV we saw general Jaruzelski proclaiming Martial Law.
One of the most beloved actors of the Polish stage and screen, Daniel Olbrychski played in dozens of films, collaborating with some of the most significant Polish directors, including Andrzej Wajda (13 films!), Krzysztof Zanussi and Jerzy Hoffman. He was also one of the favourite actors of the late theatre director Adam Hanuszkiewicz. He frequently worked overseas, collaborating with Volker Schlöndorff, Claude Lelouch and Nikita Michalkov. Recently he played in Philip Noyce’s "Salt", a Columbia Pictures production starring Angelina Joli. He has been featured alongside such renowned actors as Michel Piccoli, Isabelle Hupert, Marina Vlady, Leslie Caron, Hanna Schygula as well as the film legends such as Burt Lancaster and Simone Signoret.
Olbrychski chose "The Bridges of Madison County" as the text for his anniversary performance, inspired by the fact his French collegue Alain Delon played it on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Olbrychski and Segda will perform in a performance based on an adaptation of Waller’s novel written by the actor’s wife and manager Krystyna Demska-Olbryschska and Henryka Królikowska.
"The Bridges of Madison County" tells the moving story of Francesca, an Italian living in a provincial town (Dorota Segda) and a photographer-traveller Robert Kincaid experience the best moments of their lives during four days together and these four days will have to make up for the rest of their lives. The show is set to the music of Joseph Kosma played live by the distinguished saxophonist, Zbigniew Namysłowski.
The honourable patronage over the anniversary of Daniel Olbrychski has been assumed by Bogdan Zdrojewski,the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
"Bridges of Madison County” based on the novel by Robert James Waller
Stage adaptation: Krystyna Demska – Olbrychska, Henryka Królikowska
Direction:Grzegorz Warchoł
Cast:Daniel Olbrychski, Dorota Segda
Music by: Joseph Kosma performed live by: Zbigniew Namysłowski
6. Piętro Theatre
Palace of Culture and Science
1 Defilad Square
00-901 Warsaw
www.teatr6pietro.pl
Source: www.culture.pl , www.teatr6pietro.pl, www.e-teatr.pl, www.gazeta.pl, www.polskieradio.pl