Lidia Wysocka

Lidia Wysocka (June 24, 1916 – January 2, 2006) was a Polish stage, film and voice actress, singer, cabaret performer and creative director, theatre director and costume designer, editorialist.

Filmography In 1934 she dubbed Madeleine Carroll's voice in the British film I Was a Spy (1933), the first movie dubbed in Poland (Siostra Marta jest szpiegiem).

Kochaj tylko mnie (1935), as Hanka Żarska Papa się żeni (1936) as Lili, daughter of Mira Stella Gehenna (1938), as Ania Tarłówna Ostatnia brygada (1938) as Marta Rzecka Serce matki (1938) as Lusia Heather (1938) as Dębska Doktór Murek (1939) as Tunka Czabran Złota Maska (1939) as Magda Nieczaj Irena do domu! (1955), as Irena Majewska Sprawa pilota Maresza (1955), as Mary Godzicka Nikodem Dyzma (1956), as revue singer Rozstanie (1960), as Magdalena Sekret (1973), as Lena Nurkiewicz Zaczarowane podwórko (1974), as Queen Anna Jagiellonka W obronie własnej (1981), as Maria's mother

Other The production of her 9th movie, Szczęście przychodzi kiedy chce (directed by Mieczysław Krawicz) was cancelled by the outbreak of World War II. She was invited to star in another movie, Jacek Bławut's Lili (production title), telling the story of veteran actors, but it was still in pre-production phase at the time of her death; it was finally completed as Jeszcze nie wieczór as late as in 2008.

Selected theatre work (daily dates for premiere performances only) 1936, September 26 - The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens, playing Mary, at Polish Theatre in Warsaw 1936, December 31 - The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais, playing Fanchette, at Polish Theatre in Warsaw 1937, July 8 - Papa by Gaston Arman de Caillavet, playing Jeanne Aubrin, at Polish Theatre in Warsaw 1937, November 9 - Gałązka rozmarynu by Zygmunt Nowakowski, playing Mania, at Polish Theatre in Warsaw 1938, March 30 - November Night by Stanisław Wyspiański, playing Małgorzata, at Polish Theatre, Warsaw 1938, May 20 - Dalilla by Ferenc Molnár, playing Ilonka, at Mały Theatre, Warsaw 1938, December 14 - Temperamenty by Antoni Cwojdziński, playing Stefcia, at Mały Theatre, Warsaw 1939, March 28 - The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, at Mały Theatre, Warsaw 1944, May 27 - Due dozzine di rose scarlatte by Aldo De Benedetti, playing Maria Verani, at Teatr Małych Form Miniatury, Warsaw 1946, February 12 - Freuda teoria snów by Antoni Cwojdziński, playing She, at Mały Theatre (MTD), Warsaw 1946, July 2 - Village wooing by George Bernard Shaw, at Mały Theatre (MTD), Warsaw 1947, May 24 - Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, playing Beatrice, at Mały Theatre (MTD), Warsaw 1948, January 13 - Man and Wife by Aleksander Fredro, playing Justysia, at Teatr Miniatury (MTD), Warsaw 1948, May 26 - Jadzia wdowa by Ryszard Ruszkowski, playing Jadwiga, at New Theatre, Warsaw 1949, January 22, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, playing Beatrice, at Polish Theatre in Szczecin 1949, March 9 - Norwegian spring by Stuart Engstrand, at Polish Theatre in Szczecin - directing 1949, April 18 - Jadzia wdowa by Ryszard Ruszkowski, playing Jadwiga, at Polish Theatre in Szczecin - also costume designer 1949, August 16 - Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward, at Polish Theatre in Szczecin - costume designer 1949, October 27 - Сказка by Mikhail Arkadyevich Svetlov, playing Katia, at Polish Theatre in Szczecin 1950, January 16 - Germans by Leon Kruczkowski, at Teatry Dramatyczne (Teatr Współczesny) in Szczecin - costume designer 1951, January 6 - Sir Gil of the Green Stockings by Tirso de Molina, playing Donna Diana, at Teatr Nowy (Scena Komediowo-Muzyczna), Warsaw 1951, July 28 - Ojciec debiutantki by D. Leński, at Ludowy Teatr Muzyczny, Warsaw - directing 1951, October 8 - Sir Gil of the Green Stockings by Tirso de Molina, at Aleksander Wegierka Theatre, Bialystok - directing 1952, September 17 - Biuro docinków, Teatr Satyryków, Warsaw 1959, January 11 - Man and Wife by Aleksander Fredro, playing Justysia - also directing 1961, February 15 - Les petites têtes by Max Régnier, playing Irene, at Comedy Theatre, Warsaw 1977, April 24 - Będziemy obrażać!, at Syrena Theatre in Warsaw 1979, January 17 - Wielki Dodek by Witold Filler & Jonasz Kofta, playing Miss Stefania, at Syrena Theatre in Warsaw 1980, July 5 - Warto byś wpadł by Ryszard Marek Groński & Antoni Marianowicz, at Syrena Theatre in Warsaw 1981, February 27 - The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek, playing Mamon, at Syrena Theatre in Warsaw 1981, July 16 - Wizyta młodszej pani by Ryszard Marek Groński & Michał Komar, playing Ms. Loda, at Syrena Theatre in Warsaw

Early career One of the top finalists of the beauty contest organized by the Kino magazine in 1933.

She could be heard not only on Polskie Radio; for instance, from November 1936 she was reading the first serialized novel written for Polish radio, Dni powszednie państwa Kowalskich (The Daily Life of the Kowalskis), released in print in 1938 by Maria Kuncewiczowa), but also by dialing ... the speaking clock number (she was the voice of the improved telephone device launched in Poland, in 1936).

World War II As most of the actors who boycotted German-controlled theatres during the war, she had to find another way to make a living: she worked as waitress in "Na Antresoli" café. She rejected offers to start working for German UFA, at that time dealing mostly with pro-Nazi propaganda movies. Blacklisted, she was taken hostage (along with other Polish artists) by Gestapo in 1941 and held in the Pawiak prison Her husband Zbigniew Sawan ended up in Auschwitz as German retaliation for the assassination of Igo Sym, a Nazi spy.

Post-war years After the war she started performing in Teatr Mały in Warsaw alongside her husband, later also in Teatr Miniatura in Warsaw and Teatr Nowy. They moved next (1947–1949) to Polish Theatre in Szczecin, where Sawan would take the manager seat. The couple returned to Warsaw in 1949 and started working in Teatr Ludowy: Sawan again as the manager, while she started directing plays. She had spent 1951–53 in Buffo revue theatre.

Wagabunda Cabaret

In 1956 she created the Wagabunda cabaret (in Poland meaning: a mixture of stand up comedy, theatre and music, with a prominent addition of political satire), which gathered such actors and satirists as Edward Dziewoński, Wiesław Michnikowski, Kazimierz Rudzki, Jacek Fedorowicz, Bogumił Kobiela, singer Maria Koterbska, Jeremi Przybora, Mieczysław Wojnicki, Marian Załucki, Mieczysław Czechowicz, Zbigniew Cybulski, etc.; texts for songs, monologues and sketches supplied by Stefania Grodzieńska or poets Julian Tuwim and Jan Brzechwa. Popular in Poland for over a decade, it also toured USA and Canada (1957, 1962, 1964), United Kingdom (1965, 1966), Israel (1963), USSR (1968) and Czechoslovakia (1956) (in total over 2 million tickets sold, according to its manager, W. Furman). She was its art director and a leading star, often performing sung poetry or versions of popular songs (particularly French ones) with Polish lyrics.

Late career After Wagabunda dissolved in 1968 she had problem finding work in Warsaw's theatres despite her experience and fame. Finally she found her way to the stage of Teatr Syrena in Warsaw, where she played in revues in 1974 through 1981. She also toured the United States with it. Apart from TV broadcasts of her recitals (as early as in 1956, while Telewizja Polska was still in the test stage of its second - post war - launch) and interviews, she appeared on satirical TV shows such as Teatr Rozrywki. Her last TV interview was released by Kino Polska Channel in 2011.

During her career she also worked with Polish public broadcaster Polskie Radio, taking part in concerts and other broadcasts. She appeared in radio dramas as early as in late 1930s; listeners of Program 1 station could still catch her in 1980s/1990s reading her own editorials on cultural news, displaying literary and satirical talent.

She was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, Officer's Cross, for outstanding achievement in artistic work (1999), Gold Cross of Merit (1978) and other honors.