The Iliad - Out Loud

Homer didn’t write page-turners. The greatest of all battle sagas was designed to be actively listened to over 15 or so breathless hours. For many years, actor/director William Zappa pored over 17 translations, convinced that the live transaction between orator and audience could be rekindled in our times. The extraordinary result is a performing version for himself, three actors (Heather Mitchell, Blazey Best and Socratis Otto), Michael Askill on percussion and Hamed Sadeghi on Persian oud: it comes in at a snappy 9 hour reading, including enlightening asides from Zappa as part fanboy, part tour guide, and part personal trainer to get our flabby attention spans into peak ancient shape. He and his troupe make clear this masterpiece – about pride and greed, glory and horror – doesn’t need resuscitating. It’s eternally alive and salient. Jettison the book or screen and experience real storytelling with your fellow humans – whether it be for a full cycle in one marathon sitting or a shorter dip into the Aegean for one or two parts only.