A high-ranking government minister with a colorful past is sent on a diplomatic mission to Istanbul. When his trip ends up in a barroom brawl, he becomes Europe's most wanted man overnight. Chased by the authorities, damned by religious leaders, pursued by those looking for vengeance and headhunted by fanatics, his odyssey begins.Plunged into the ancient past, Odysseus must now contend with all the unworldly beings and unnatural phenomena that stand in his way. The Cyclops, the Sirens, witches, whirlpools, and flesh-eating armies must all be overcome in the struggle for survival and the long voyage back home.Simon Armitage's The Odyssey: Missing Presumed Dead premiered at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre in September 2015 then toured the U.K. in a co-production with English Touring Theatre.