York Theatre Royal have announced a major UK revival of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Adapted from her critically acclaimed novella of the same name, this exuberant retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey gives voice to the silenced Penelope and her chorus of maids.
The Penelopiad was first seen at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon in July 2007 in a co-production between the Royal Shakespeare Company and Canada’s National Arts Centre. This marks the first major UK revival of the show since that production.
The production will be directed by York Theatre Royal’s Creative Director Juliet Forster, with further creative team and casting to be announced.
“Margaret Atwood is such a phenomenal writer – she’s clever, witty, subversive and her insights into human dynamics are acutely well observed. The Penelopiad is a funny, moving, fast paced, visual feast, a classical tale told through a contemporary lens. The epic, heroic story of The Odyssey will never look the same again! I am thrilled we will be staging it here at York Theatre Royal, and I can’t wait to get started on the show.” – Juliet Forster, Director
The Penelopiad will begin previews on 10th October 2026 and will then run at York Theatre Royal until 24th October 2026.Tickets go on sale on 28th February 2026.
