To be Antigone is to be doomed, laments the Chorus of her
play. While certainly not doomed as a piece of theatre, there are
some flaws in this modern French adaptation of the ancient Greek
play, which leave one unsure as to its true merit as a tragic
piece. The staging and setting is cleverly done – deliberate
positioning of the actors in the audience’s space makes for
an atmospheric and energetic work, placing the emotions explored
in the play in direct and unapologetic confrontation with the
expectations of those watching it. The actors enter and exit
through an archway at the rear of the stage, reminding the
audience of the deliberately contrived nature of the play. This
sits well with the emphasis on tragedy rather than on melodrama
– according to the Chorus, tragedy is what it is because
everything in it is inevitable, and can never be ‘real’
because the outcome is always known beforehand. So far, so good, and everything in the time-tested and
renowned style of classical Greek theatre. But a difficulty
arises when one considers the adaptation of the play.
Anouillh’s version fails because it tries to be everything
at once, and ends up being nothing. Neither a straightforward
modernisation of the original, with updated plot and setting, nor
a strictly “Greek” play, this script combines the
battles and gods of the classical world with the coffee and
cigarettes of the modern one and it just doesn’t work. Fortunately, the director (Alex Pappas) has managed to convey
much of the original feeling of the play, with a pared-down style
of directing that works well in the context of this style of
theatre. The acting, too, is well-suited to the demands of Greek
theatre – particularly Matt Shapiro’s portrayal of King
Creon who is forced by the laws of Thebes to put Antigone to
death for violating a religious decree. Shapiro manages to combine a subtle portrayal of sorrow, anger
and powerlessness with the straightforward and unpretentious
style of acting necessary to the script. He and Antigone (Helen
Prichard) have a good chemistry onstage and both are at their
best in the scenes in which they appear alongside one another. As
Antigone, Prichard excellently captures the frustration inherent
in the play – although at some points her portrayal becomes
a little too childlike to be truly tragic. Overall the acting is
good, with the dolefully melodic voice of Triona Giblin (the
Chorus) providing an atmospheric background to the whole. Despite
its flaws Antigone is worth seeing for the palpable energy
pulsing through the performance, and the satisfaction of seeing
something that is truly original.ARCHIVE: 1st week TT 2004
Gauloise cigarettes and classical gods
