Cast for the National Theatre’s The Underworld musical announced

The National Theatre has confirmed casting for The Odyssey: The Underworld, bringing together six professional actors with musicians, performance groups and freelance artists from across the country.

The company will be led by 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 piece marks the culmination of the NT’s multi-location production of The Odyssey, as well as the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, a nationwide programme to create extraordinary acts of theatre and community. Following on from the previous four episodes staged earlier in the 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 Underworld is the fifth and final episode of The Odyssey and will feature returning community performers from all previous productions.

It is written by Chris Bush (Standing at the Sky’s Edge) with music by Jim Fortune (Hex). Bush commented: “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 director Emily Lim, 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.

The Odyssey: The Underworld runs from 26 to 28 August 2023 at the National’s Olivier Theatre.

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