Almeida Theater and the British Museum are presenting a 16-hour reading (and livestream) of Homer’s Iliad voiced by beloved actors today. Their insanely awesome Twitter account is providing a play-by-play of the epic with modern flourish.
With a huge cast that includes actors like Brian Cox, Simon Callow, Ben Whishaw, Julian Glover, Mark Gatiss (Mycroft from the BBC Sherlock), John Simm (the Master from Doctor Who), and other luminaries of stage and screen, the “Iliad” reading was sure to be an entertaining spectacle.
But upping the enjoyment factor is the delightful Twitter account @IliadLive, which is live-tweeting the story’s events as they happen using the hashtag #iliad. The tweets are tongue-in-cheek, accurate to the plot, and provide a new level of accessibility to Homer’s work. If you love the ancient world, or have been a longstanding desire to see the Trojan war unspool tweet by tweet (who doesn’t?), follow along for some hot Greek action.
