Acropolis Now (radio)

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Acropolis Now is a BBC Radio sitcom set in Ancient Greece, written by the author of Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in two series in 2000 and 2002, with subsequent reruns on BBC 7 in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Acropolis Now follows the fictional adventures of historial Greek characters in Athens, Heraclitus, Aristophanes, Socrates, Xanthippe, the Oracle, and is loosely narrated by a chorus, in the convention of Greek dramas.

Aristophanes and his brother, Heraclitus, run a fish restaurant. Oracle, their mother, is a former keeper of the Oracle at Delphi. She constantly "sees signs", most of which turn out to be commonplace 20th century traffic signs and posters.

Xanthippe is a pervert, that is a heterosexual, in a society where homosexuality is normal. She has a crush on Socrates' friend Plato, who cannot handle her advances.

The nature of the chorus varies from episode to episode. It may be the fish deliverymen on their daily round, a gang of former Olympians looking for a free meal, or the "unbelievably affable ones" (cheerful versions of the Furies) come to collect Socrates and take him to Hades. Several male voices speak in unison, with a lead voice underlining the occasional detail.

1 Cast
2 Series 1
3 Series 2
4 External links

[edit] Cast

Stephen Moore as Heraclitus, Aristophanes' brother and tormentor.
Alan Cox (actor) as Aristophanes, playwright, poet, orator, and restaurateur.
Robert Hardy as Socrates
Tom George as Plato, Socrates' pupil, who will never amount to much
Rosemary Leach as Oracle, mother of Heraclitus and Aristophanes.
Rachel Atkins as Xanthippe, wife of Socrates, and deviant heterosexual (Imelda Staunton in Series 2)
Gavin Muir as Chorus