One of the most brilliant epic poems in ancient history, The Iliad, is set for a marathon performance this summer, as part of the Almeida Greeks Festival taking place between June and October in London.

Artistic director Rupert Goold decided to direct The Iliad according to Homer‘s original 15,000 line epic poem about the fall of Troy, in an effort to make it widely known to the public through live web streaming.

The staging will involve more than 50 classical actors, historians, newsreaders and war reporters reciting the poem in a marathon performance that will begin at the British Museum on August 14 and will finish on the Almeida stage. The entire show will be streamed online for 15 consecutive hours.

Three other theater productions included in this summer’s festival are Oresteia, Bakkhai, and Medea. Aeschylus’ greatest and final play Oresteia spans many decades and is currently on the Almeida stage. It is a family drama about sparring parents, asking whether justice can ever be done. Goold said he hoped the festival would be able to re-create the Athenian spirit of cultural exploration and that it would become what he described as “cultural archeology.”

These are just some of many events, talks, readings and performances as part of Almeida Greeks, a festival to tie in with the theatre’s trio of Greek tragedies playing in the current season.