Dance-theatre work The Odyssey by Presence Projects, directed by Fleur Darkin, presented as a DanceLive 2026 preview.
Presence Projects are bringing a preview of The Odyssey to The Anatomy Rooms on Saturday 17 October, as part of the DanceLive 2026 programme. It's a dance-theatre piece directed by Fleur Darkin, and this particular showing is a first glimpse of a full-length production that doesn't actually premiere until May 2027. So, if you're into seeing how a show comes together before it's fully finished, this is exactly that: a first look at a work that's still on its way to the full stage.
Darkin has taken Emily Wilson's translation of Homer's Odyssey as her starting point, and the piece works its way through the questions of home, identity and endurance that the old story is built on. It's not just a retelling of the myth, though; it's set in a contemporary world where that mythological narrative runs alongside present-day experience. The choreography was developed in collaboration with two of Europe's leading dance artists, and the whole thing is described as intimate and playful in its relationship to the audience. It asks what it means to return to place, body and self, and what happens when you confront what's been left behind.
Because it's a preview, you're getting in on the ground floor of a production that's still evolving. The full-length version won't be out until May 2027, so this is one of the first times it'll be performed in public. If you're a regular at the city's dance and theatre, that's usually the best way to see a new piece—watching it while it's still being shaped.
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It starts at 5:00pm at The Anatomy Rooms, so it's an early evening one. Tickets are £16, with a concession of £11. If you're planning on seeing more than one show during the festival, there's a bundle: any two for £25. And if you're coming with a crowd, groups of eight or more get £5 off per ticket, plus one free for every fifteen. It's a Saturday afternoon slot, which makes it easy to fit in before the rest of your evening.
