Tom Hogan and Finn O’Branagain start with a disclaimer: They are not actors, and this is not a play.

The Epic doesn’t look epic at all. It’s just two bodies on a barely lit stage, standing among some miniature mountain ranges that function as set design.

O’Branagain and Hogan, who’s billed under his poetry pseudonym, Scott Sandwich, aren’t too concerned with appearances.

While both performers are clearly well versed in performance and theatre, The Epic showcases a united love of poetry and spoken word.

 These two admittedly “silver-tongued” individuals are in search of meaning, making us laugh while they try to figure out what exactly our modern audiences can take from some old, and some new, epic tales.

The Epic gets down to business without much introduction, asking some monumental questions early on.

Great fiction is all lies, as our hosts say, like Santa Klaus, stories don’t have to be true to wield cultural power.

Scott Sandwich, rather heroically, dives right in to Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, deciding that Odysseus is actually a “dirty, criminal mastermind”. Perhaps Odysseus is the template from which many celebrated modern anti-heroes draw their inspiration.

O’Branagain’s rejoinder to this revelation is more philosophical and even more ancient. With her intense monologue, she brings to life the original mythic poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, the god-king who struggled with everyday human problems: achieving immortality and the meaning of existence.

Scott Sandwich brings us back down to earth by detailing the heroic exploits of Vin Diesel’s character in The Fast and The Furious movie franchise, a modern example of when an epic tale, absurdly and tragically, merges into reality.

Like all good double acts, O’Branagain and Hogan enjoy working off each other’s energy. They take it in turns to address the racial politics behind zombies, the lack of strong female characters in western narratives, and whether or not they themselves could be engaging in cultural appropriation by telling foundation stories from other cultures.

While some of the jokes did come off as clichéd, The Epic engages in a level of self-critique and satire that is refreshing.

The Epic points our attention towards language and the ancient art of storytelling, but O’Branagain and Scott Sandwich are careful to avoid taking themselves too seriously.

While they tackle the difficult themes and politics that great stories often do produce, their approach is irreverent and playful, keeping the content relatable and critically aware.

The Epic is a highly successful blend of social satire, cultural criticism, theatre and spoken word by two accomplished artists.

The Epic runs until January 30 at PICA Performance Space, Northbridge. Tickets and show info are available here.