PólíS

PólíS is a Polish–Icelandic theatre ensemble founded by Icelandic artist Ólafur Ásgeirsson.

Origin of the name

The name PólíS is a wordplay that reflects both the group’s cultural background and its founder. Pól refers to Poland (Pólland in Icelandic), Ís refers to Iceland (Ísland in Icelandic), and the central Óli is a common short form of the founder’s name, Ólafur Ásgeirsson. Together, the name highlights the Polish–Icelandic collaboration at the heart of the group while also nodding to the founder’s personal involvement.

Co za poroniony pomysł (What a Misguided Idea), 2021

PólíS' first production, Co za poroniony pomysł (What a Misguided Idea), premiered in 2021. The play tells the story of a Polish chef and two actors attempting to stage a production in Polish, and it received the Icelandic Theatre Award for Debut of the Year (Grímuverðlaun).

Tu jest za drogo (It’s Too Expensive Here), 2022

PólíS' second production, Tu jest za drogo (It’s Too Expensive Here), premiered in 2022. It follows the story of Polish migrants who travel to Iceland to earn money for their wedding. It was co-produced with the Reykjavík City Theatre (Borgarleikhúsið).

Bibliography

Skjoldager-Nielsen , Daria. 2024. “Polishing Reykjavík: The Third Space Between Poland and Iceland.” Nordic Theatre Studies 35 (1): 92-105. https://doi.org/10.7146/nts.v35i1.145376.

Skjoldager-Nielsen , Daria. 2024. “Reykjavík po polsku: PólíS.” Teatr, Vol. 2024, no 4.