National Theatre announces professional cast for THE ODYSSEY: THE UNDERWORLD

The National Theatre have announced the full professional cast for The Underworld, the culmination of the NT’s multi-location production of The Odyssey.

The production is a joyful celebration of national community marking the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, the NT’s nationwide programme to create extraordinary acts of theatre and community.

Written by Chris Bush, with music composed by Jim Fortune and directed by Emily Lim, The Underworld is the fifth and final episode of The Odyssey, following the first four episodes performed earlier this year at Restoke in Stoke, Cast in Doncaster, Trowbridge Town Hall in Trowbridge and The Fire Station (for Sunderland Culture in partnership with Sunderland Empire) in Sunderland. The final episode brings together community performers from all previous performances as well as members recruited through Public Acts founding community partners, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Trybe House Theatre in London.

Rehearsals begin this week at the NT as well as at their partner theatres across the country. Joining the 50 London participants and 40 participants from the previous four locations are Amy Booth-Steel (Blue Jean) as Calypso, Tarinn Callender (Hamilton) as Telemachus, Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Dune) as Odysseus, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Hex) as Poseidon, Emma Prendergast (Eastenders) as Athena, and Zubin Varla (Tammy Faye) as Hades.

The fifth episode will be staged as a full-scale musical production at the National Theatre from 26-28 August. Held captive by the nymph Calypso, Odysseus has all but given up hope of ever returning home. Back on Ithaca, her son Telemachus plots a rescue, and high above on Mount Olympus, the Gods convene to set her one final trial – a voyage to Hades, land of the dead.

Having acted as dramaturg on the previous four episodes, Chris Bush offers a fresh take on this final chapter of The Odyssey. The stand-alone production explores this universal story of resilience, loss, healing and hope, drawing on the stories told in the first four episodes across the country.

Playwright Chris Bush said: "I can't think of a better way to celebrate five years of Public Acts than with this truly national project, assembling our own mini pantheon of world-class artists from up and down the country. It's been a joy and a privilege to help weave this epic story together, and I can't wait for our final episode at the National Theatre this summer."

The creative team also includes movement director Dan Canham, set designer Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, music supervisor and musical director Tarek Merchant, costume designer Fly Davis, lighting designer Joshua Pharo and sound designer Paul Arditti.

All performances of The Odyssey: The Underworld are audio-described, captioned and chilled.

For further information, please click here.