Margaret Atwood, acclaimed author of The Handmaid’s Tale, reimagines The Odyssey and overturns one of literature’s oldest myths. For centuries, Penelope has been remembered as the loyal wife who waited 20 years for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War, weaving by day and unpicking her work by night. But what if the story belonged to those left behind? In this striking retelling, Atwood gives voice to Penelope and the twelve maids who history forgot. From the underworld, Penelope finally tells her own story, challenging the legends that have shaped her life and exposing the truths hidden beneath the epic. The Penelopiad is performed by the London Youth Theatre 2026 Company with production work from the LYT Backstage Trainees.

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