Most of us know The Odyssey through Odysseus: the journey, the monsters, the gods and the long road home. Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad turns the story around and asks what happens when Penelope — and the twelve maids whose voices are pushed to the edges of the myth — get to tell it themselves.
That makes York Theatre Royal’s new production much more than another theatre announcement for me. It sits right in the middle of two things I love exploring on Clarissa’s Corner: Greek mythology and the way familiar stories are pulled apart and retold for a modern audience.
The Penelopiad at York Theatre Royal
Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad reimagines the world of Homer’s Odyssey from Penelope’s point of view. While Odysseus is away becoming the hero of one of mythology’s best-known journeys, Penelope is left in Ithaca dealing with a palace full of suitors, her reputation and a story that history has largely allowed somebody else to tell.
The twelve maids are central to Atwood’s retelling too, giving the story a darker edge and making questions of power, class, gender and who gets remembered impossible to ignore.
Dates, cast and creative team
- Venue: York Theatre Royal, York
- Previews: from 10 October 2026
- Opening / press night: 14 October 2026
- Final performance: 31 October 2026
- Age guidance: 14+
Amelia Bullmore leads the company as Penelope. The cast also includes Nell Baker as Laertes, Danielle Bird as Eurycleia, Olivia Burton-Laws as Naiad Mother, Faye Campbell as Melantho, Pena Iiyambo as Helen, Kat Johns-Burke as Antinous, Syakira Moeladi as Telemachus and Charlie Russell as Odysseus.
The production is directed by Juliet Forster, with design by Sara Perks, lighting by Alexandra Stafford, and music and sound from Kate Marlais, who is Composer, Musical Director and Sound Designer. Michelle Edwards is Movement Director and Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG is Casting Director.
From The Odyssey to The Penelopiad
This is where the adaptation gets particularly interesting. The Odyssey has been retold for centuries, but changing the storyteller changes what we notice. Atwood takes a woman often remembered for waiting faithfully for her husband and lets her question the version of events that became legend.
It’s also why The Penelopiad belongs in our growing Greek mythology trail rather than sitting on the site as an isolated theatre post.
Follow the myth…
If Greek mythology is your thing too, have a mooch through Greek Mythology & Retellings. You can follow another journey into the Underworld with Hadestown, see what Disney does with the myths in Hercules, or meet another woman from The Odyssey in my Circe audiobook review.
For more stories moving between page and stage, head to From Covers to Curtains.
Accessible performances
- BSL interpreted: 16 October at 7:30pm
- Audio described: 22 October at 2pm, with a Touch Tour at 1pm
- Captioned: 24 October at 2:30pm
York Theatre Royal advises contacting its Box Office for access booking support and guidance on suitable seating.
Tickets
There isn’t currently a Clarissa’s Corner affiliate ticket route for this production, so use York Theatre Royal’s official booking page → for current performance times, prices and availability.
Production photography: Pamela Raith.
