Jan Nowicki – Portrait of a Friend
“…to read sincerity and independence…”
Printed edition coming soon!!!
Jan Nowicki, Dariusz Domański
Jan Nowicki – actor and writer, or rather: writer and actor. “One of the most fascinating acting personalities of the Polish stage,” as Jerzy Jarocki once described him. I would add: one of the most intriguing literary figures as well. A hero of Mrożek’s plays and Dostoyevsky’s novels. Doctor Faustus and The Great Szu.
To me — not only a friend and a guide through the world of theatre, but above all, Grand Duke Constantine from Stanisław Wyspiański’s November Night, in Andrzej Wajda’s unforgettable staging. Jan Nowicki is the author of 11 books. His most recent work, Szczęśliwy bałagan (A Happy Mess), is a collection of letters sent to Marek Kondrat between 2018 and 2022.
In 2019, he became a member of the Polish Writers’ Association.
Jan Nowicki, as Grand Duke Constantine, was a figure of many dimensions. So different from his predecessors — Władysław Woźnik or Jan Kurnakowicz — whose well-known portrayals remain etched in the iconography of Polish theatre. In this role, Nowicki revealed the inner ugliness of his character. He was perverse, provocative in his gestures of disgust, nonchalance, and theatrical vanity…
Suspended in the void of pride!
Jan Nowicki as Grand Duke Constantine
“Darek, with your legendary diligence, you preserve from oblivion the fragile and fleeting art of acting…”
Jan Nowicki
Darek Domański is a living chronicle of Polish theatre.
prof. Bronisław Dąbrowski
Jan Nowicki as “The Great Szu”
Jan Nowicki as Prince Hans Heinrich XV von Teuss in the film The Magnate
Jan Nowicki as Józef in The Hourglass Sanatorium
Andrzej Łapicki
“Janek Nowicki? One of the greatest actors. A powerful individual. A truly original personality. I had the opportunity to work with him three times — in 1975, on Contempt for Kraków television; in 1994, on The Marriage of Figaro; and in 1995, on Masquerade.He was imaginative, full of ideas — the creative leader of any production he appeared in. He would imprint his own style and vision on a performance.
Only an incompetent director would choose to reject them.”
“Janek upholds the traditions of a theatre we no longer truly know —
the kind steeped in mystery and hidden behind the curtains.
He enjoys being an artist; he inherited that from the older colleagues he observed at the beginning of his journey. He respects theatrical tradition — but at times, he also plays with theatre, in the best sense of the word.”
Jerzy Trela
Kazimierz Kutz
“There are very few actors like Nowicki! He is a shy, even modest man.
He spares no one in his work — his truthfulness borders on exhibitionism.
He is a dangerous actor! One full of surprises, constantly catching directors and fellow actors off guard…
An actor with an unquenchable fire within him!”
“I was fortunate to be his ‘teacher’ at the Theatre Academy.
From that time until today, I’ve noticed that Janek has always carried a certain impatience toward the profession he chose.
That impatience stems from an inner discomfort — one deeply rooted in him as a man. Janek seeks to justify his decision to place himself among professional actors.
His presence — whether on stage, in front of the camera, or in any situation related to the craft — must always carry profound meaning.”
Marek Walczewski
*The materials published on this website are taken from the publishing series “Portraits of Friends” by Dariusz Domański and have been used with the author’s permission.