The Penelopiad

20 - 23 Jul

by Margaret Atwood

The Penelopiad

20 - 23 Jul

Director Sherrill Gow
Set and Costume Designer PJ McEvoy
Lighting Designer Freddy Sherwood
Sound Designer Helen Skierra

Penelope: immortalised by Homer as the devoted wife of the glorious Odysseus, silently weaving and unpicking as she waits patiently for her husband’s return.

Now Penelope wanders the underworld with her murdered maids, spinning a different kind of thread: her own side of the story – a tale of lust, greed and murder.

Adapted from her own novel by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), this dazzling retelling of an ancient story becomes as playful as it is haunting.

An amateur production, by kind permission of Margaret Atwood and Curtis Brown.

We don’t want to give away any spoilers for shows, but understand that some content may cause distress for audiences. If there are certain themes or content that you would find particularly upsetting, we encourage you to contact us before viewing to find out more about the show – please email boxoffice@mountview.org.uk.

The Penelopiad contains strobe lighting, strong language, violence (including sexual abuse) and scenes of a sexual nature.


Mountview encourage audience members aged 11+ to wear a face covering inside the building, including the auditorium and foyer.

We ask that you do not attend if you feel unwell or have any symptoms of COVID-19. View our COVID-19 Audience FAQs.

See our food and drink provisions within the venue.

Booking Info

Dates

Wed 20 Jul, 7:30pm

Thu 21 Jul, 7:30pm

Fri 22 Jul, 7:30pm

Sat 23 Jul, 2:30pm and 7:30pm

Prices
Full Price £15
Concession (Under 18/Student/Over 65) £12
Southwark Presents Cardholder £10
Venue

The Mack, Mountview, 120 Peckham Hill Street, London SE15 5JT

To Book

020 8881 2201
Our box office hours are currently Monday-Friday 9am-8pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Online booking is 24 hours, but phone and in-person bookings should be made within these times. Tickets are booked subject to Mountview's terms and conditions

Industry Bookings

If you are an agent, casting director or industry colleague looking to view this production, please contact Neil Rutherford - neilrutherford@mountview.org.uk

Sherrill Gow (she/her)

Director

Sherrill is Joint Head of Postgraduate Performance at Mountview.

Previous directing credits for Mountview include Pippin and Anne of Green Gables – the Musical. Sherrill holds a PhD from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Her thesis develops interventionist feminist practices for dramatic training.

She would like to dedicate this performance to Sarah Davey-Hull (1965-2022), an actor-trainer and director who inspired and supported many.

PJ McEvoy (he/him)

Set and Costume Designer

PJ designs sets, costumes and video content for theatre having trained in Professional Production Skills at Guildford School of Acting.

Design credits include: Falsettos (The Other Palace), Intra Muros (Park Theatre), All in a Row, Doubt: A Parable (Southwark Playhouse), Fanatical (Playground Theatre), A Little Princess (Royal Festival Hall), The Secret Garden (Barn Theatre), Outlaws to In-Laws (King’s Head), The Dover Road (Jermyn Street Theatre), The Pillowman (Aberdeen Arts Centre) and Alice in Wonderland (Guildford Shakespeare Company).

Helen Skierra

Sound Designer

Helen is a sound designer and composer.

Recent work includes: Unlocking Touch (May Productions/UCL), Red Riding Hood (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Long Song (CFT), BLIS-TA (Clean Break).

Online games: David’s Bad Day, A Walk in the Park, National Elf Service and Bad Altitude (Fast Familiar), A Christmas Carol (Bristol Old Vic), The Lovely Bones (Birmingham REP), Out of Water (Orange Tree), Here I Belong (Pentabus), This is Not for You (Graeae), Instructions for Correct Assembly, Bodies (Royal Court) and The Encounter (Complicité).

As Associate: East is East (Chichester), Touching the Void (West End), Barber Shop Chronicles (National Theatre) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (West End).

Lexi Clare (she/they)

Assistant Director

Lexi is a New Zealand theatre maker, who graduated from Mountview with an MA Performance in 2016. Past work includes gig-theatre show Game Face (UK/New Zealand) and micro-musical Much Ado About Hero (UK).​ In 2017 she launched Maiden Speech, a festival showcasing the boldest new work from a new generation of theatre makers. As Assistant Director: Trace (dir. Alice Fitzgerald, R&D), The Winter’s Tale (dir. Jeff James, Mountview), Antigone (dir. Justin Murray and Actors of Dionysus (R&D).

Marcello Marascalchi (he/him)

Fight Director

Marcello has been an actor and a fight director/instructor for nearly 30 years.

He has taught at Mountview for nearly a decade and in that time has choreographed the fights in over 40 shows.

He has worked with companies in all forms of media including: the New Vic, RSC, Shakespeare’s Globe, Royal Opera House, BBC, Sky TV and History Channel

His film work includes Interview with a Hitman, In the Name of Ben Hur, The Man Inside.

Marcello has been involved with several documentaries about Vikings, Romans and modern day martial arts. When not involved in acting and directing fights for film, TV and the stage, Marcello has been a combat instructor at ALRA, East 15, Drama Centre, MTA, and Rose Bruford College.

The Penelopiad Creatives

Associate Sound Designe
Emma Laxton

Voice Coach
Andrea Lewis

Assistant Director
Lexi Clare

† Theatre Production Arts student

The Penelopiad Crew

Production Manager
Davin Patrick

Deputy Production Manager
Cory Duffill

Costume Supervisor
Megan Ayrton

Stage Manager
Lea Bethmann† (she/her)

Deputy Stage Manager
Maddie Lawless† (she/her)

Assistant Stage Manager
Maja Lach (she/her)

Production LX
Efa Gregory† (she/her)

Lighting Operator
Sofie Mirza† (they/them)

Lead Scenic Artist
Danielle Barr

Scenic Art Manager
Steven Peters

Prop Making Supervisor
Lisa Martin

† Theatre Production Arts student