One of literature’s oldest stories, Homer’s The Odyssey, will be brought to life at Derby Theatre in a new adaptation by Mike Kenny.
The theatre’s artistic director Sarah Brigham who directs says, “Mike’s modern adaptation of this classic story, about a soldier who returns home from war and who has to piece his life back together, has a modern-day feel, resonance and relevance through its language and themes.
“It’s a timeless piece which the brilliant ensemble of actors will deliver with a powerful and emotional punch against a soaring, live musical score.”
Olivier Award-winning playwright Kenny has numerous production and adaptation credits to his name including The Railway Children for York Theatre Royal in association with the National Railway Museum.
The cast features Wole Sawyerr as Odysseus. He appeared in Henry VI Parts 1 and 2 at Shakespeare’s Globe, directed by Dominic Dromgoole.
Emma Beattie plays Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. Her credits include Stephen Beresford’s The Last of the Haussmans in 2012 and Tauris and Elektra, both at the National Theatre.
Also appearing are Christopher Price who was in the Kneehigh production of Hansel and Gretel at the Southbank Centre in 2010; local actress Anna Westlake who was in Derby-based Oddsocks production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors; Ivan Stott, musical director on Derby Theatre’s production of Kes; Derby actor Adam Horvath, the first recipient of the Brian Weaver Fellowship set up to provide an aspiring actor with professional, paid work; Ella Vale; and Rich Dolphin.
The Odyssey runs from Friday (14 February) until Saturday 1 March.
A companion piece, Penelope RETOLD, looks at the story from the perspective of Odysseus’ wife.
The RETOLD programme is a series of one-woman plays commissioned by Derby Theatre from “some of the most exciting female voices in contemporary theatre”.
The aim is to “crack open the classics and see the story afresh from the perspective of the female character, who is often silent in the original”.
Caroline Horton has created Penelope RETOLD which will be staged from Wednesday 19 February until Saturday 1 March at either 6:15 or 10PM in the theatre's rehearsal and performance space.
You can see a trailer for the production on YouTube.