Review by Jo Tomalin
For All Events
Peregrinus
KTO Theatre from Poland presents Peregrinus at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe at Summerhall. Peregrinus starts with dramatic imagery and deliberate immediacy! Wearing their uniform of neat business suits, white shorts and ties, about eight office workers appear in front of us. They line up in formation and take their turn kneeling and putting on giant masks. Standing in front of us the image is not only fascinating but also the similar expressions of huge masks suggest a group of Everyman. Immediately these employees know where to go and what to do and they share with us a day in their lives by getting very busy slickly moving in circles, or intricate patterns while encountering different reactions from each other.
Physical gestures say it all and there is no need for actual words, so the performance of Peregrinus can be understood by anyone of any language. They each pull a large silver suitcase on wheels so this is very relatable to anyone who travel and have those nifty four wheel rolling suit cases. However, these rollers have special powers!
Peregrinus is an original devised show performed by KTO Theatre from Poland that tour a repertoire of different shows internationally. Peregrinus is also co-financed by the Minister of Culture of Poland. KTO Theatre has been under the leadership of co-founder Jerzy Zon for 48 years and Zon created and directed Peregrinus with choreographer Eryk Makohon, inspired by a poem by T.S.Eliot about modern life and its traps. Underscored by vibrant music throughout this is a complete performance that is visually vivid but is also inspiring.
First, for those of us who appreciate original physical theatre it is a triumph of expression and physical storytelling; second, this is a highly entertaining show! The characters came from the grassy Meadows near Summerhall where they interacted playfully with people for about thirty minutes, some of whom following them into the Summerhall courtyard performance area for the start of the show.
Blending satire, spectacle with dynamic movement and choreography, the story shows this group of office workers setting off for work from their homes and what happens when they arrive at work to the end of their day. They travel, sit together, have lunch and do their work almost in unison yet each has their own character traits. It’s a vivid and sometimes playful image of life that we can each reflect and respond to in order to preserve our individuality.
There are some improvised moments that are fun and add depth to the characters and the show. At these times there are individual flashes of personality such as when one of the characters after a brief interaction, motioned to someone in the audience to “call me!”
If you see one show at the fringe, see Peregrinus!
More Information:
https://teatrkto.pl/
Jo Tomalin studied with Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She completed the two year professional course at Ecole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, France, where she also completed the Laboratoire du Mouvement (LEM) scenography, mask and movement course.
Originally from England, Jo is currently based in San Francisco, where she reviews Theatre & Dance for www.ForAllEvents.com & www.FringeReview.co.uk. She is a Professor in the School of Theatre & Dance at San Francisco State University where she teaches performance subjects and directs MainStage plays. She also works in the performing arts field as a freelance movement & voice specialist, director + actor. Jo’s play “Jessica” which she also directed was produced at the Fringe of Marin – a One Act New Play Festival in Northern California.
Jo Tomalin graduated with a degree from London University’s Laban Centre Teaching Credential program in Modern Dance, Art of Movement & Choreography; studied Classical Acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London; completed a teacher’s diploma (ATCL) in Voice and Acting from Trinity College of Dramatic Art, London; and studied classical ballet for 12 years.
Jo also holds a Ph.D. in Education with a specialization in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University, MN, and a Master of Science degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University in the USA.
