Schloss Wartholz
HOMER
THE
Odyssey
Our Team
“A journey of twenty years and a joyful but complicated reunion: our Odyssey vividly retold the elemental story of a lost warrior desperate to get home to his family, against all odds, perils and even the Gods themselves. It also represented a work two decades in the making, as an ensemble of performers returned to Austria for the first time to recreate this thrilling, dangerous and epic journey from Troy to Ithaca.
Set in the beautiful grounds of Wartholz Castle, the performance shared Odysseus’s extraordinary quest through fire, song and poetry.”
Joe Kloska has created a special stage adaptation of selected scenes from Homer’s Odyssey especially for this production. His staging embraces the ethos of Poor Theatre – a style that forgoes elaborate sets, costumes, and technical effects in favour of raw performance, physical presence, and intimate connection between actors and audience.
ABOUT
Epic theatre: Scenes from Homer’s Odyssey
On August 2nd 2025, Schloss Wartholz was transformed into a stage for an extraordinary theatre event: a distinguished company of British actors, under the direction of Joseph Kloska, brought to life scenes from Homer’s Odyssey.
Blending the timeless art of storytelling with contemporary performance, the production featured artists with acclaimed international careers across stage, screen and television. Some were recently seen on Broadway or in London’s West End, others are celebrated producers, directors, or drama educators.
Twenty years ago, this same ensemble first came together on a mountain cabin in Salzburg. Reunited for a single evening, they presented theatre at its finest.
THE Lineup
Actors and Creatives
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Arthur Darvill
is well known for his role of Rory Williams in Doctor Who and received an Olivier Award for his role in Oklahoma!. A musician and composer, he was most recently seen in the Netflix series Sandman.
Caroline Kilpatrick
following her training as an actor, forged a successful career as a voice and communications coach. She works with executives and teaches in schools and at universities.
Joe Kloska
recently performed alongside Kenneth Branagh in King Lear on Broadway. His screen credits include The Crown (Netflix), Foyle’s War and Happy Go Lucky. In Reichenau, he directs and also performs in the play.
David Luff
began in experimental theatre and is now a sought-after producer. Most recently, he produced the acclaimed West End runs of Network with Bryan Cranston and of Dr. Strangelove with Steve Coogan.
Lucinda Millward
has taught at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and currently leads the acting programme at the Fontainebleau School of Acting in France.
Philippe Narval
produced the ensemble’s first performance in 2005. He regularly launches projects at the intersection of culture, science, and politics, and works professionally in the field of disability inclusion.
Tyne Rafaeli
is an award-winning theatre and film director based in New York. Her productions such as Selling Kabul and Power Strip have garnered widespread acclaim and she was nominated for the prestigious Drama Desk Award.
Jim Russell
began in experimental theatre and fter graduating from RADA, and working as an actor and producer, became a dedicated acting teacher and has since inspired countless students across the UK. He now leads the drama programme at the distinguished Framlingham College.
Jay Taylor
has appeared for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, London and New York and on television in Manhunt, Ten Percent and Britannia. He is an award-winning writer and his first play, The Acedian Pirates, was staged in 2016.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
is a multi-award-winning author and actress; her series Fleabag won six Emmy Awards. She co-wrote the screenplay for the Bond film No Time to Die and produced the series Killing Eve.
who has exhibited internationally since 1995, has created an original painting for the production of The Odyssey at Schloss Wartholz.
The show
Only once
The scenes from the Odyssey were performed during one show only at the Literatursalon of Schloss Wartholz in Reichenau an der Rax. An audience of 250 people witnessed the spectacular performance which relied on very few props and put storytelling in the centre. Nonno Breuss produced a short documentary about the production and photographs below are by Clemens Fabry (group foto) and Peter Mayr (performance).
HOW WE CONTINUE
We will bring world-class english threatre back to Reichenau/Rax in the summer of 2027.
Watch this space for updates or subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
THE REVIEWS
IT'S A CLASSIC
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GLOBAL TRIBUNE
20.4.2035
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CITY HERALD
10.5.2035
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NATIONAL GAZETTE
20.7.2035
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