Odysseus

Watch: Odysseus Preview (2mins)

Luka Lesson's Odysseus

“My family hails from Achaea -just like Odysseus and his men in the Odyssey. This is more than just a poem to me.”
— Luka Lesson

Odysseus is Greek-Australian poet and rap artist, Luka Lesson’s groundbreaking theatrical retelling of Homer's epic, fusing ancient Greek storytelling with contemporary hip-hop and spoken word. Performed with live orchestra and choir, this production bridges 3,000 years of human history, making classical mythology fresh and accessible for modern audiences while maintaining Greek cultural connection.

Odysseus transforms the hero's journey into a visceral exploration of exile, refugee displacement, homecoming, and identity. With a premiere planned for the coming year, this is epic poetry reimagined—where ancient wisdom meets the pulse of today's streets, creating an unforgettable musical and theatrical experience that resonates across generations and cultures.

“A bold, new imagining of the mother of all stories.”

— Paul Kelly, Musician.

“My dream is to perform Odysseus an ancient amphitheatre in Greece”
— Luka Lesson

“It is time I let you in on something: I have a huge dream - it is something I’ve kept quiet about for a long time, but I believe it is time for me to speak publicly about it.

My dream is to perform Odysseus in an ancient amphitheatre in Greece. But my dream is not to perform at just any old marble amphitheatre in the motherland - but the ultimate venue: The Odeon of Herodes Atticus aka the Herodeon which sits at the foot of the Acropolis.

You might think that this is impossible: that the Archaeologists would never let me perform on an ancient site. But it is not the case - the Herodeon is used every summer in Greece as one of the main venues in the country. And that’s why my dream, although massive, has a chance.

I am reaching out to invite all of you, my people, to play a part in this epic journey and help me to fulfil this ambitious dream.”

— Luka Lesson

History of the Herodeon

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (more commonly known as the Herodeon) is an amphitheatre built in the year 161AD by the famous Athenian benefactor: Herodes Atticus after whom the theatre got its name. He built it in memory of his wife Aspasia Annia Regilla. The theatre rests on the southwestern slopes of the Acropolis and is one of the worlds oldest and prestigious theatres.

About 100 years after it was built the theatre was severely damaged during the invasion of Athens by Heruli, and subsequently it fell into disrepair.

In 1952, once Greece had regained it’s independence from the Ottoman empire, the city decided to restore the theatre to its former glory. In 1955 it was opened again and since then greats such as Frank Sinatra, Maria Callas, Giorgos Dalaras, Mikis Theodorakis and Sting have all performed there. The venue itself is just as much of the star attraction as the performers that grace its stage.

 

“For me, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is the holy grail. Creatively, I see my work as a continuation of the traditions of Ancient Greek poets who performed there 2,000 years ago. And so it is part of my story, and part of our poetic history, to make this dream become a reality.”

— Luka Lesson

Reclaiming The Odyssey:
My GoFundMe campaign for Odysseus.

Odysseus is a retelling of the Odyssey in Hip-hop and Spoken Word Poetry with a live orchestra and choir.

The project is already underway, I’ve been working on it for ten years now, and the vision for this fundraiser is to take it to the next level:

My team and I wish to add to the already 65-minute long production, another 25-minutes of music and script to have a complete 90-minute theatre production and take it closer to public premiere.

We just need some extra funding to get us over the line.

Can you help?

For the cost of buying me a Greek coffee, you could make a big difference.

Make a Donation ☕️

Who am I to dream so big?

Since I became a full-time poet, every day has been a chance to dream big. Every day has been an opportunity to make the impossible happen. Everybody, from the very beginning, told me that being a poet that lives from his art was impossible, and yet - here I am.

I was told that it was a big risk, but at the time I was dying to speak, to step on stages, to fulfil my dream. And so as I sat there, considering the choice of quitting my day job to do poetry. And soon I realised, that there was a bigger risk - the risk of not taking the risk. The risk of sitting in that job for another 10 years and never knowing if it could have been another way. The risk of being disappointed in myself, of avoiding my potential, avoiding what my gifts could have done for the world. I could have backed down, many times. I could have thrown in the towel. But instead I continued to throw my hat into the ring. To write the next poem, to stand on another stage, to make myself better as an artist on the road to becoming undeniable.

Here I am now, proud that I did it. Strong in the knowledge that nothing is impossible.

Now I feel the need for a new movement - a new risk. This risk is in someways even more crazy than the first: to perform in one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious venues, the Herodeon.

It has never been done by a poet before, especially not a Greek-Australian poet from a town called Brisbane.

But this time I know that the question is not, who am I to dream so big?

The question is: who am I not to?

Now you can support this dream
Donate Now

FAQs

  • Yes, yes I do.

    For a few reasons.

    Firstly, not many people have done what I've done - for twenty years I have committed my life to poetry writing and performance. This means I am comfortable performing to 30 people as much as for 1,000 people. In other words, I know I have the skills and the experience.

    Secondly, the shows I make are a perfect fit for the space: ancient stories presented in modern ways.

    Thirdly: The production will be 100% professional, so it can stand up in terms of quality in this powerful venue.

  • I'm aiming for European summer (July/August) of 2028 or 2029 for the date of the big performance.

  • Right now, the best way to support is by donating to the Odysseus GoFundMe page.

    For the cost of a Greek coffee in Athens, you can help make this dream come true.

  • I don't really see failure as an option - but I do think that this dream is a classic example of 'shoot for the moon, land among the stars'.

    In other words, on the journey towards making this dream happen, so much good will come of it that I'm sure many unexpected dreams will also come true along the way.

    And if I fall, and this particular dream never happens - it will be one big public lesson for everyone: to dream anyway. The worst that can happen, in terms of ‘failure’ is that maybe we do the premiere in a lesser known ancient space, or it takes longer than expected, or the orchestra is smaller than we wanted. But these are not really failures, in my eyes.

    I saw a quote recently that said something like: "the gift we get for pursuing our dreams is not the dream itself, it is who we become".

    I like that. And at the same time, I'm not going to take no for an answer. It is already written, I’m just following the path back to Ithaki.

  • If you would like to help by using your skills to volunteer, introduce useful contacts to my team or cross-pollinate in other ways please get in touch via this contact page

  • Yes. I am open to considering sponsorship with business owners who are aligned with my vision. I would love to chat. Please get in touch via my contact page.