How would you feel about wandering the treasure trove of archaeological sites in Athens with the words of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles and Aristophanes echoing in your ears?

This September, tourists and locals will experience exactly that. ‘The Stones Speak’ project is giving performances of classical works at seven unique locations in the Greek capital.

Organised by the Attica Hotel Association, the project aims to give a “different angle, a new life and an alternative way to interact with the archaeological sites and monuments at the centre of Athens”.

Seven days a week, seven different open-air performances take place across the city in English, French and Greek, each one open to anyone willing to listen.

Georgia Zachou, one of the actors performing the pieces, said: “It is really nice to see people respond in different languages. There were English and French tourists who got really excited when they heard their language.”

Her colleague, Christiana Hatzipiera, said: “The most interesting thing is the audience response. Many stop us during the performance to ask about the texts and the writers.”

Organisers hope to continue the project next year, and plan to expand their repertoire of texts and sites.

This year’s performances will end on October 10.