one4review | On 04, Aug 2023

Polko is a play set within the confines of a car. There are three main protagonists – Joe, the car owner, Emma his erstwhile schoolfriend and Peter the previous owner of the car. Of the three, Joe appears to be the most contented with his lot, working in a dead end job and still living at home with his mother, with no real ambition to do anything else. Even the disappearance of his closest friend Polko seems to cause him little or no heartache. Only the discordant radio in the car and Joe’s evasiveness when Polko is mentioned, give the audience an inkling that all may not be well. Peter, on the other hand, has lost Joe’s mother‘s friendship after a disastrous proposal attempt and appears to have no money, and Emma has lost her job in the city, forcing her to return to live with her parents and is also suffering with undiagnosed health issues.

The staging only consists of two cars seats, but the car takes on the mantle of a confession box, as Joe, Pete and Emma’s carefully constructed cover stories unravel through their interactions with each other in the car.

The issues covered in this play written by Angus Harrison feel very relevant for today, with catfishing, drugs and workplace relationships all discussed and handled very well. Pete’s storyline was, for me, the strongest but I was also heavily invested in Joe and Emma’s outcomes. The three actors – Elliot Norman (Joe), John MacNeil (Pete) and Rosie Dwyer (Emma) all gave fine performances which led to an enthralling hour of theatre. Highly recommended.

4****

Reviewed by Rona

ROUNDABOUT@Summerhall

11.50am (1hr)

2nd to 27th August (Not 8th, 15th or 22nd)