Gabriella writes the next chapter in hall’s odyssey!
Poet in team bringing National Theatre’s Greek classic to city venue
A CITY arts organisation is collaborating with the National Theatre to bring a multi-location national production to Stoke-ontrent.
The production of The Odyssey will form part of the National Theatre’s 60th anniversary programme and is being staged in 2023.
It will be told in four episodes taking place across the country, ending with a fifth and final episode on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre in August 2023.
Restoke is producing the first episode in partnership with the NT, which will be written by Gabriella Gay in collaboration with people in Stoke-on-trent.
It will be staged in the ballroom at Fenton Town Hall, which Restoke has been restoring for 18 months.
The building, which was a magistrates court for 50 years, is now Restoke’s home and a civic arts centre hosting creative experiences with the community.
Restoke puts the people of Stoke-on-trent at the heart of ‘creative adventures’. They make performances, plan events and run workshops alongside people who may not usually meet, forming new bonds of friendship, understanding and solidarity in the city.
For episode one of The Odyssey, Restoke will work closely with Gabriella, a trained teacher, vintage dealer, page-stage poet and creative producer. She was born in Trinidad, raised in London, but ‘made in Stoke-on-trent’.
Underlying all of Gabriella’s written, performed and socially engaged work is the power of ‘building strong connections and community’.
Clare Reynolds, Restoke co-director, said: “Being part of this epic Public Acts project is such an exciting opportunity for us and for people in Stoke-on-trent to have their creativity celebrated on a national stage.
“This will be the first Restoke show in the ballroom at Fenton
Town Hall, and we can’t wait to bring people together here to co-create the first episode of
The Odyssey for Public Acts in Stoke-on-trent”.
“Through this landmark project and in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, the adventures of Odysseus will be reimagined with our community companies as a universal story of resilience, loss, healing and hope for today.”
Emily Lim, Director of Public Acts said: “We are so excited to be bringing The Odyssey to life with such an inspiring group of theatre-makers.
“In light of everything that’s happened over the past two years it feels incredibly special, and right, to be coming together from all corners of the country to tell a story about how we heal and move forwards after a period of profound loss and change.”
After the opening show in Stoke-on-trent on April 1 and 2 next year, the production will also be staged in Doncaster, Trowbridge and Sunderland before concluding in London in August.