Jubilee of Sławomir Mrożek in Kraków – Daniel Olbrychski, Zuzanna Łapicka, and one of the Janicki Brothers

The double whammy of Sławomir Mrożek’s birthday bash and the Parisian Night in Kraków attracted artists from every corner of Poland, especially if they developed more personal bonds and enjoyed a sense of camaraderie with the Cellar. The photograph above captures a conversation between actor Daniel Olbrychski and journalist and TV producer Zuzanna Łapicka as well as one of the Janicki Brothers (either Lesław or Wacław), an acting duo widely known for their performance as the Kiemlicz twins in The Deluge (1974), a major Polish motion picture directed by Jerzy Hoffman. The Janicki Brothers were, however, primarily long-time collaborators of Tadeusz Kantos’ Cricot 2 Theatre (1979-1990).
Daniel Olbrychski (b. 1945) – one of the most outstanding Polish actors since the 1960s. Starred in films directed by among others Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Claude Lelouch, and Volker Schlöndorff. Earned cult-like popularity also thanks to Jerzy Hoffman’s Colonel Wolodyjowski (Pan Wołodyjowski, 1968) and The Deluge (Potop, 1974), screen adaptations of Henryk Sienkiewicz’s historical novels, part of the writer’s Trilogy, a series set in the seventeenth century.
Olbrychski’s association with The Cellar under the Rams started in the June of 1980, when he participated in a large-scale history-themed one-off happening. Namely, in the reenactment of Prince Józef Poniatowski’s entry to Kraków as Head of the Napoleon-allied Army of the Duchy of Warsaw, which liberated the city from the Russian occupation. Based on historical sources, the script of the reenactment was written by Joanna Olczak-Ronikier. The author intended the role of Prince Poniatowski for Daniel Olbrychski, who - to her surprise - agreed to take part. The organisers of the event also managed to convince residents of the townhouses located alongside the route of the princely procession to throw flowers out of their windows. As a result, the idea first dreamt up by Piotr Skrzynecki transformed the city of Kraków: horses, borrowed from a local riding school, strode across a floral carpet, while the Prince and his Army were greeted by a cheering crowd. A decade later, Olbrychski participated - as a guest of honour - in another grand event at the cabaret - the jubilee of playwright Sławomir Mrożek.
Zuzanna Łapicka (1954–2018) – journalist and TV producer; worked among others for the Polish Public Television and for print media, such as Vogue, Uroda, and Film. Daughter of noted Polish film and theatre actor Andrzej Łapicki (1924–2012). Married actor Daniel Olbrychski in 1978; their marriage lasted 10 years.