The Lotus Eaters (2023)

The first Restoke show made and performed in our new home - the Ballroom at Fenton Town Hall! Part of The Odyssey - a multi-venue National Theatre Public Acts production told in five episodes across the country.

Six performances took place between 30th March - 2nd April 2023.

Working with writer Gabriella Gay and a company of people from Stoke-on-Trent, we took inspiration from The Lotus Eaters, a small section of the Greek epic - The Odyssey, to create a production using our own experiences, our own stories and our connection to The Odyssey.

We reimagined the challenges Odysseus and her crew have to overcome, but importantly how we connect as a community to stay on track… we can’t be resilient on our own.

Photos by Jenny Harper & Brinkhoff/Mögenburg


Public Acts / The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an epic, nationwide multi-venue Public Acts production made in collaboration with hundreds of community members and professional artists from across the country. This landmark, ambitious project will create an unforgettable gesture of unity, creativity and radical joy. The adventures of Odysseus have been reimagined with community companies as a universal story of endurance, loss, healing and hope for today.

Partner organisations include: Cast in Doncaster, Trowbridge Town Hall in Trowbridge, The Fire Station in Sunderland (for Sunderland Culture in partnership with Sunderland Empire in Sunderland), Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Trybe House Theatre in London.

You can find out more about the whole project on the National Theatre website HERE