Dripping with atmosphere, acting that grips you, and a story that lingers for days, Antigone is oustanding in every aspect.
Gripping, haunting, tense, tragic. All words that you could use to describe Antigone. The brilliant production of the French dramatist Jean Anouilh’s Antigone (originally performed in France under Nazi occupation), revives a millennia old Greek tragedy filled with family drama, political intrigue and complex morality. Between the story, powerful acting, sombre music and a haunting stage, all combines to create an immersive experience that is some of the best and most complete works at the fringe.
The story goes that Antigone is going to bury her dead brother who rebelled against the previous King of Thebes, and Creon the new king of Thebes, has outlawed such a burial on punishment of death, an ever present reminder of his new law and order. The complication arises that Antigone is to marry Creon’s son, and her execution would prove politically and personally difficult for Creon. As the story unfolds we bear witness to a battle of wills, family and political drama intertwined where all is not as it seems and although you know who will die from the very first scene, the slow march to death keeps you locked into your seat.
The acting here is second to none that I’ve seen at the fringe. Antigone (Clare Robinson) and Creon (Angus Morrison) are captivating in all their scenes especially as they battle and argue with words as sharp as daggers. You can feel Creon’s determination to hang on to what order he’s struggled to create, Antigone’s psyche shake and struggle to hold as new truths are revealed as she harms the ones she loves in pursuit of her goals. The more we learn the more it becomes harder to declare clear villains as it tries to make you sympathise with executioners and kings alike.
The production is haunting and claustrophobic with a stage that drapes two translucent sheets over the wings, creating a tight center stage that bottles up emotions before spitting them back at you. Light and dark play together, as dazzling lights illuminate the center stage while the chorus often serve as ghostly figures, writhing behind the sheets between the light and pitch black. This often peaks during scenes where the narrator (Jamie Richard-Stewart) weighs in on the story, as the cast moves in ghostly inhuman ways.. The creative director Philomène Cheynet has created a play that could be engrossing just on the weight of dialogue and acting talent alone, but instead is outstanding in every manner providing a play dripping with atmosphere, political intrigue and subtext oozing from every decision. The more I think about this Antigone, the better it gets.
See Antigone at the French institute at 14:30 every day until the 24th of August