Iliad out Loud: Do it like Homer

Iliad Out Loud is an adaption of Homer’s Iliad. It is not a true theatrical play, but rather it follows Homer’s methods of delivery. The creator of Iliad Out Loud is Greek Australian actor scriptwriter William Zappas.

William Zappa (right) and the rest of the cast of The Iliad - Out Loud. Source: Sydney Festival

In 2011, Mr Zappas was in a workshop in Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. The central topic of the workshop was to explore the themes of Greek plays. It was the fist time Mr Zappas read the Iliad and he was amazed. As  soon as the workshop was over he bought a copy of the Iliad and begun to read.

Call of the Muse

He enjoyed the epic so much he attempted to produce it as a radio play. While the signs were promising at first, eventually the idea did not materialize. Then Mr Zappas decided that rather than just adapting from a translation, he would rather make his own adaption of the Iliad. To that end he bought 15 different translations and compared each page, trying to determine how to give the meaning of the text in his own words while at the same time staying true to the Iliad’s original rhythm scheme.

The cast of The Iliad Out Loud performing Source: Supplied

A play like the ones of old

According to Mr Zappas, the show is not a play. There are no costumes and the actors do not memorize their lines. Instead the read them out loud from a page. Mr Zappas jokes that it makes things easier since the play’s runtime is 9 hours.  Like Homer did long ago, the actors take up the role of the narrator, calling the Muse to tell the story.

Iliad out Loud is divided in three parts, in three days. From Wednesday 23^rd of January to Friday 25^th of January.  For those who want to see the full play in one sitting, there is one special session on Sunday 27^th of January.