Penelope
★★★★☆ Stirring
Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61):Wed 5 – Sun 30 Aug 2026
Review by Bri Boehm
The folksy chamber musical Penelope, playing Belly Button at Underbelly Cowgate all Fringe, is a must-see for fans of Hadestown, Greek mythology, and stories of nuanced and powerful women.
Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, waits. And waits. And waits. This musical serves as a character study of Penelope as she takes on an epic of her own – an epic of routine, of yearning, of hope, of resentment, of love.
Penelope at Ancram Center for the Arts.
Grace McLean takes – and rules – the stage as Penelope, offering up a masterclass performance. The scope and depth of talent on display in one body is unfathomable. Her voice wraps around the room like a warm blanket then cuts through the audience like a knife. Her comedic timing and emotional breadth is mystifying and goose-bump inducing, as she paints rooms with just a gesture and conjures tears with just a glance.
The score, by Alex Bechtel, is refreshingly unique, playing with genre and style as the story ebbs and flows between comedy and tragedy. At times bold and jazzy, at other times soft and haunting, Penelope’s music holds as much heart and complexity as the woman it portrays.
Without a set, without scene partners or ensemble, without even a physical change of location within the story, Penelope traverses an ocean of narrative. Through tonal shifts and McLean’s impeccable performance, each scene and song forges a new and surprising turn, turning the Odyssey’s well-known narrative into a fresh and exciting adventure.
powerhouse
The show does last perhaps a song too long, with the finale over-emphasising the narrative resolution, but it is hard to complain about more time spent with such a beautiful score and a powerhouse performer.
Haunting, heart-wrenching, Penelope is the kind of show that will linger. Featuring some of the best storytelling, music, and performance the Fringe has to offer this year, do not miss this theatrical voyage.
Running time: One hour and x minutes (no interval).
Underbelly, Cowgate (Belly Button), 66 Cowgate (Cowgate and Victoria Street) EH1 1JX (Venue 61).
Wednesday 5 – Sunday 30 August 2026.
Daily: 3.45pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Website: penelopemusical.com/
Instagram: @Penelope_musical
ENDS
