02 Feb 2026
St Albans Abbey Theatre’s Company of Teens will be bringing fresh urgency and youthful power to a subversive retelling of a classical Greek myth.
Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad revisits Homer’s Odyssey from the perspective of Penelope, wife of Odysseus, alongside the chorus of her maids whose fate has long been relegated to the margins. This new version strips away heroic varnish and invites us to listen to voices silenced by history, asking sharp questions about power, loyalty, justice
and whose stories survive.
The Company of Ten has a strong tradition of nurturing emerging talent, as director Matt Hughes Short explains: “The Penelopiad is a bold, ensemble-led production that places young performers at the heart of an ancient story reclaimed for modern audiences. Using physical theatre, choral storytelling and immersive staging, our interpretation re-examines myth through Penelope and her maids whose voices were lost to history.
“With the role of Penelope shared across performers the production celebrates collaboration, imagination and female storytelling, giving young people space to explore power, injustice and resilience while bringing a silenced narrative powerfully into the light.”
This production of The Penelopiad offers audiences the chance to see an ancient story reflected through modern eyes and voices. The Company of Teens’ ensemble performance is promised to move seamlessly between satire and sorrow, myth and memory, creating a piece of theatre that is both playful and politically resonant.
Performances are from Thursday February 5 to Saturday February 7 at 8pm in the Abbey Theatre Studio. To book tickets please go to www.abbeytheatre.org.uk or call the box office on 01727 857861.
