Translated by Géher István
Directed by Zoltán Balázs

Penelopiad is Margaret Atwood's unique myth adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, the Trojan War, and the queen of Ithaca, Penelope, the embodiment of female fidelity: a modern-day echo and reflection of Penelope's story, transposed into a dramatic structure. The highly successful novel written in 2005 (translator: István Géher) is an extension of the tragic fate of Penelope in the captivity of Hades, a projection of the pain and guilt felt by the cruel murder that claimed the lives of the Handmaids.

Zoltán Balázs's direction retells the well-known ancient story from the personal perspective of Odysseus' experienced, brave and resourceful wife, amplifying the female aspects of the myth. The director's concept sensitively integrates into the multifaceted fabric of the performance the mysterious story of the twelve handmaidens hanged by Odysseus and his son, Telemachus, and the moral aspects of their killing. The protagonist of the story dreamed up for the stage for the first time in Hungary: Gabriella Varga. Nelli Orbán brings her cousin Helen to life while Edina Bajkó will play the Maids.

The latest Hungarian-Macedonian-Polish co-production of the Maladype Theater promises an all-arts production in such a variety of theater genres that it gives the audience the possibility of a kaleidoscope-like play experience that can be experienced both in personal and collective recognitions. The director's idea, based on an unusual dramaturgy, creates a unique performance system based on the virtuoso presence of the actresses through the specific content-form units and the verbal, acoustic and visual stimuli formulated in an exceptional combination. The music for the overall work of art is written by the composer Adrián Kovács, whose name is associated with such emblematic performances as Liliomfi, Who is no longer under the sky, The Dictator, The Legend of Pendragon, The Great Gatsby, Dangerous Relations or the City of Loves.

Cast:

Penelope: Gabriella Varga
Helene: Nelli Orbán
Handmaids: Edina Bajkó

Creators:

Director: Zoltán Balázs
Dramaturg: Zsuzsanna Juraszek
Set designer: Zoltán Balázs
Scenic: János Katona-Koós
Costume designer: Anikó Németh
Composer/Music director: Adrián Kovács
Production manager: Katalin Balázs
Creative producer: Sylvia Huszár


Budapest opening night: 31/05/2024, The Third Place
Gyula opening night: 22/7/2024, Gyula Castle Theatre, Chamber Hall


Co-production partners: A Third Place, Gyula Castle Theater All Arts Festival, "STOBI" Antik Drama International Festival (Veles, North Macedonia), "BEZ GRANICE" Medzinarodowy Festiwal Teatralny (Czieszyn, Poland)

Sponsors: KIM, Embassy of Hungary in Skopje, Liszt Institute Warsaw, Waclaw Felczak Foundation