Polis Loizou
SPOKEN WORD
Photo by Tomáš D’Aradia.
Storytelling
I love getting in front of an audience to tell folktales from around the world. Though I can deliver a wide range of moods and styles, I do have a preference for the darker stories…
I have performed at festivals, in bookshops and even in a tower. I’ve even given talks to schoolchildren on folklore and storytelling.
While I can spin a yarn with nothing but myself on stage, I’ve also collaborated with experimental sound artists for evenings of multisensory fun.
You can watch me tell one of my favourite horrible little stories: The Fairy Follower.
Beware those good folk…
“Loizou has the most masterful
Stephen Walker, Buxton Fringe
pacing to his stories”
The Off-Off-Off-Broadway Company
The brilliant Jaacq Hugo and I co-founded this award-winning theatre company, for which I’ve written, directed and produced several shows.
We first hit the Buxton Fringe in 2009, became a trio with the fabulous Laura Louise Baker in 2010, and have had a string of successful pieces across the UK since. Peaceful has seen a number of sold-out performances, while Back Door picked up two awards.
More recently, I’ve performed two one-man shows incorporating my love of folklore storytelling: A Curse of Saints and Mr Fox.
Mr Fox
WINNER: Best New Writing (Buxton Fringe 2021)
NOMINEE: Best Production
NOMINEE: Best Actor
Be bold, be bold
But not too bold
Lest that your heart’s blood should run cold
Mr Fox is Polis Loizou’s one-man retelling of the wicked old folktale.
Fallen aristocrat Lord Leander is visited by a true crime blogger who wants to discover the truth behind an incident involving a former assistant.
Leander both evades and answers the questions by launching into the classic folktale of Mr Fox – in which Lady Mary, an intelligent and plucky young woman, discovers that her mysterious fiancé harbours a deadly secret…
“Expertly told […] deliciously dark”
Buxton Fringe review
“Riveting […] any story told by him is likely to captivate”
Audience member, GrimFest
A CURSE OF SAINTS
British-occupied Cyprus, the 19th century. When a boy is found dead in an olive grove, his fellow villagers gossip about how he came to be there, and what might have killed him. A shepherd reveals his own suspicions. Since the arrival of the British, he’s been having visions and nightmares. As the omens escalate, along with sightings of an Anatolian woman’s ghost, the shepherd knows that death is nigh.
A one-man show written by and starring Polis Loizou.
“A masterclass in writing, staging, lighting, performance and storytelling.
This chilling tale… literally had me on the edge of my seat.”
Nicholas Vince, patron of the London Horror Festival
Awards & Nominations
- BEST NEW WRITING (WON): Polis Loizou, Mr Fox (Buxton Fringe 2021)
- BEST ACTOR (NOMINATED): Polis Loizou, Mr Fox (Buxton Fringe 2021)
- BEST PRODUCTION (NOMINATED): Mr Fox (Buxton Fringe 2021)
- JOHN BEECHER MEMORIAL AWARD (WON): Back Door (Buxton Fringe, 2014)
- BEST COMEDY SHOW (WON): Back Door (Greater Manchester Fringe, 2014)
★★★★
Fringe Guru on A Curse of Saints
“Enthralling storytelling.”
★★★★★
Grumpy Gay Critic on Back Door
“Sharp and glamorous”
★★★★
British Theatre Guide on Peaceful
“Thrillingly tense and well acted”
Inn Crowd
In 2020 I was commissioned to write a biographical storytelling show as part of Inn Crowd – a great initiative to tour pieces to rural pub venues. The pandemic delayed this a bit, but my piece is now available for booking.
Polis Loizou’s Love Island
Life feels a bit like a movie when you grow up on The Island of Love. Especially when there is a vendetta being waged around you, brides are kidnapped from their homes under cover of night, and you find you have suspiciously famous ancestors. This is the Cyprus of Polis Loizou’s childhood, and he weaves it into an hour of funny, surprising, and unforgettable storytelling.
Past Performances
31st March, The Art Bank, Shepton Mallet
1st April, The Black Swan, Langport
28th May, The White Lion, Selling
18th June, First Light Festival, Lowestoft
Polis Loizou 