Agapi & Other Kinds of Love by Luka Lesson // Canberra

What Is It?

Presented by Luka Lesson, Vyva Entertainment & Molonglo

Agapi & Other Kinds of Love is a poetry and Hip-hop theatre show inspired by the 7 Ancient Greek words for love. 

Written and performed by poet & rapper, Luka Lesson, the show is equal parts rap concert, poetic musical & classical history lesson. 

Combining lyricism, lighting, projections and music: Agapi & Other Kinds of Love shows us how loves prevails despite the trials and tribulations of the ages.

Who Is Luka Lesson?

Luka Lesson is a Greek-Australian poet, former Australian Poetry Slam Champion, Hip-hop artist and history-obsessed wordsmith who can’t keep his hands off the classics.

Luka has featured at the Mecca for slam poetry: the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe (NYC), been commissioned by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and toured with respected UK rappers Akala & Lowkey.

Agapi & Other Kinds of Love is Luka’s first theatre work - combining ancient wisdom of his ancestry and his love of modern poetics to create something powerful and new.

What's the Story?

In Ancient Greece, Socrates is telling a banquet of friends about a mysterious woman named: Diotima, who taught him everything he knows about love. Socrates doesn’t know that Diotima has been walking for days towards the ancient city of Athens to hold Socrates in her arms one more time.

In modern Greece, Pavlos and Sophia have fallen in love at first sight in the midst of a dangerous riot on the streets of Athens, amid the political upheaval of an economic crisis.

Self-love, erotic love, familial love, the love of the stranger and more all collide with statues of Aphrodite, Molotov cocktails and the Parthenon's steps.

The primordial gods: Chaos & Cosmos, watch over the two sets of lovers as they dance with destiny in the same city. but in very different times - until eventually, the gods intervene.

CREDITS

Creator, Writer, Co-Director, Lead Performer Luka Lesson
Music Composer James Humberstone

Co-Director Sam Foster
Producer Vyvienne Abla
Lighting Designer Laura Jade
Studio Photo Credit Sam Clarke

Additional Lyrics by Alice Night for duet ‘The Crown’

Originally commissioned by La Boite Theatre, Bleach Festival and the National Museum of Australia.