The Penelopiad

THE ODYSSEY: HER STORY
A York Theatre Royal Production
 
Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad
 
Margaret Atwood, author of the modern feminist classic The Handmaid’s Tale, revisits Homer’s The Odyssey in a powerful, irreverent and darkly humorous retelling that unpicks one of the oldest of myths.
 
Immortalised as the devoted and faithful wife to the glorious Odysseus, Penelope waits 20 years for her husband to return from the Trojan War, silently weaving and unpicking and weaving again. Now it’s time to hear the story of those left behind…
 
Reimagining this ancient tale, Atwood gives voice to the silenced Penelope and her chorus of maids. Wandering the underworld Penelope spins a different kind of thread: her side of the story – a tale of injustice, betrayal and revenge.
 
Adapted for the stage by Booker Prize winner Margaret Atwood and interwoven with songs, York Theatre Royal’s production will be directed by Juliet Forster (Little Women, Around The World In 80 Days-ish!) and will star Amelia Bullmore (Riot Women, Happy Valley, Scott & Bailey) as Penelope.
 
This exuberant and witty retelling questions the version of events we think we know and exposes the truth behind the myth…