Penelope – Siren Theatre Co

Overview

From the inventive mind of contemporary Irish playwright Edna Walsh paired with the assured direction of Kate Gaul, TAP Gallery presents the Sydney premiere of Penelope, a creative reworking of the bloody climax of Homer's The Odyssey.

At the bottom of a drained swimming pool there is an unlit, untouched barbeque; nevertheless, the atmosphere is hot and electric. Over 100 suitors whittled down to just four men. They conspire how to win the affections of Penelope in the absence of her warrior husband, Odysseus. Both Vaudevillian and tragic, this is a play steeped in the anxiety of Odysseus's return. It is a compelling cesspit of violence and anguish, sparked with offshoots of cabaret and black humour.

This is Gaul’s second undertaking of a Walsh play. Her disciplined handling of last year’s The New Electric Ballroom earned great praise. In the wake of its success, expect this production to be another memorable tour de force of contemporary theatre.