Review- Antigone
Date Reviewed: 21st October, 2008
Venue: Royal Exchange
Nearly two and a half thousand years after it was written, Sophocles‘ play, Antigone, is the latest production from the Royal Exchange. Ancient Greek tragedy is perhaps not the most obvious crowd-pleaser, but despite the passage of time this is a play which seems to have lost little of either its power or relevance.
Beginning where the tales of Oedipus leave end, Antigone is the story of how his daughter defies the new king, Creon, over the fate of her dead brother. The power vacuum left by Oedipus’s tragic end has led his two sons killing each other in battle. Creon has taken over the throne and declared that the son who left Thebes to raise an army against his own city is not to be buried. The story which unfolds examines both the divine and the public reactions to this decree.
Don Taylor‘s modern translation of the play is clear and easy to follow while still retaining the scope and power of the original story. Ian Redford, who plays Creon, is excellent in the role, maintaining his energy through some very long speeches. An honourable mention should be made of Andrew Sheridan who provides a much-needed comic turn as the soldier. Matti Houghton, who plays the title role, is good enough, but her excessive use of her hands to emphasise her speech can be distracting.
The choral sections are powerful, especially when the members of the chorus speak in unison. However they are at times accompanied by sections of interpretative dance which, while interesting to watch, are sometimes hard to relate to the action of the play.
The floor of Laurie Dennett‘s stage is riven with cracks and fissures, which does a good job of symbolising the fractures present between the characters in the play, and, as ever at the Exchange, the use of lighting, sound effects and music, are incredibly effective. Greg Hersov‘s direction makes good use of the theatre’s unusual space, keeping a feeling of movement even during some very long speeches.
This is a well performed and produced version of a play which seems to have stood the test of time. It is interesting as a piece of theatrical history, but also an entertaining and powerful dramatic work. Give it a try.
-Calum Kerr
April 12th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
I love Antigone, such a great story. I regret not having seen Don Taylor’s version of the play.
-Dan
Webmaster @ Inflatable Boats
April 15th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedy playwright who we know a fair bit about. His works have received much acclaim for good reason. I would loved to have seen this production.
May 3rd, 2011 at 4:20 am
Don Taylor’s is a genius he was able to maintain the power of the original story while being able to present this magnificent story in today’s modern time.
July 14th, 2011 at 4:02 am
Story’s like such methodology and Greeks gives a big impact on lives of some people. They sometimes appear as to be more on fantasy yet learning is what it gives us.
August 23rd, 2011 at 9:22 pm
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