ODYSSEUS, NOT YOUR HERO
Bread and Roses Theatre
★½
“there are moments of wit …”
“If these are our heroes, what does that make us?” This is the central conceit posed throughout Odysseus, Not Your Hero, an irreverent retelling of selected episodes from the Greek epic. Odysseus, the so-called hero of Homer’s tale, finds his famous journey home after the Trojan War reframed through a decidedly modern — and frequently mocking — lens.
Irreverent it certainly is. At one point, the narrator gleefully describes all previous English translations of the epic being thrown into a coffin and urinated on, as if to suggest this interpretation is the definitive one. Unfortunately, it never quite earns that boldness, and the question it poses never lands with the weight the writing seems to demand.
Created by Cyborphic, a science-fiction and Greek theatre company, and staged as part of the Lambeth Fringe, this interpretation — written, directed and performed by Christos Callow Jr. as Odysseus — sets out to showcase the hero’s less admirable exploits. Poseidon (taken on by Anastasia Thiras, who also multi-roles throughout) condemns him to a gauntlet of challenges, from preparing a meal for a cannibalistic cyclops to resisting the siren call of influencer-style temptresses. As you might expect, there is no shortage of reinvention and absurdity along the way.
The prize for success? His safe return to Ithaca. Aided by Nausicaa (Kat Kourbeti), reimagined not as the pining lover of myth but as a curious fusion of AI and Star Trek–style holodeck, Odysseus is judged through each of Poseidon’s trials. Kourbeti plays the role of scorekeeper with deliberate indifference, her detached performance aligning with the production’s mocking tone. Part Brechtian farce, part chaotic sketch, the story leaps from game to game, peppered with audience participation that asks us to judge the man not by his legend but by his actions.
Ultimately, this is not the Odysseus you might remember from school textbooks. Rather than the cunning tactician whose guile and wit were known throughout the land, this Odysseus emerges arrogant, ignorant, and easily distracted — his reputation for brilliance built on shaky ground.
That failure to live up to expectation unfortunately also extends to the rest of the production. While there are flashes of humour in the script, some of the dialogue feels stilted, and the performances lack the polish required to elevate the concept. Characters come across as one-note, and this is largely undermined by the frequent fourth-wall breaks which, while raising some laughs from the audience, ultimately undercut any chance of tension or momentum, leaving a production that rarely shifts into a higher gear.
Rarely, but not never: the play briefly finds its footing in the moments when Poseidon and Odysseus engage the audience, cast as the hero’s weary crew desperate to return home to Ithaca. These interactions bring the room to life and reveal the performers at their most comfortable, playing off spectators rather than each other.
Set, costume and lighting are economical — unsurprising in a fringe production — while a light score fills gaps as costumes are changed onstage. Poseidon’s fishing vest and cap neatly suggest a man of the sea, while Odysseus’ T-shirt, complete with a sketched-on six-pack, leaves the audience to imagine the resplendent armour he might otherwise wear.
Though there are moments of wit and occasional audience engagement, ultimately the faltering execution prevents the show from finding a clear identity. And while Odysseus, Not Your Hero suggests a bold re-evaluation of hero worship and the famous voyage home, in the words of the Bard, it’s all Greek to me.
ODYSSEUS, NOT YOUR HERO
Bread and Roses Theatre
Reviewed on 2nd October 2025
by Daniel Outis
Previously reviewed at this venue:
SOBRIETY ON THE ROCKS | ★★★★ | July 2022
