ANTIGONE @ The Royal Exchange

Sophocles’ Antigone is a masterpiece. The play dares to raise relevant questions it in turn refuses to answer. You will leave the theatre pondering these large questions yourself. Such as; can religion and secularism ever live happily side by side? What is terrorism? When is it right to act against the state? And, have angry woman always been deemed neurotic? Not bad for a play penned over two thousand years ago

The Plot

Antigone’s brothers die in battle. One is declared a hero, the other a traitor. The king degrees all traitors must be left unburied. Anyone found breaking this law will be killed. Enter Antigone. A woman borne of incest, who walked the desert with her blind father Oedipus, and has known deep suffering. Consumed by self-righteousness, enmeshed in religious devotion and sisterly love, she decides to bury her brother. Inevitably she is caught and despite being betrothed to the king’s son is sentenced to death. In typical Greek-tragedy style, she is dragged away, kicking and screaming, to be walled up in a mountain.

Then the regal prophet receives a message; he warns the King that Antigone actions were in line with the God’s law. The God’s are on the girl’s side and more to the point they’re pretty angry, forcing the King to change his mind. Tragically, Antigone has already killed herself and, without spoiling the end, this triggers a spiral of bloodshed, despair, and madness unrivalled in contemporary theatre.

Antigone is an unsettling exploration of religious devotion, civil disobedience, state terrorism, and democracy. Its desperate depiction of a city silenced by fear is disturbing. Matti Houghton’s portrayal of a woman driven by religious conviction to stand against the state is strikingly conversant with modern fears about religious extremism threatening a states conventions and laws. It is remarkably uncomfortable viewing at times and should be, especially in today’s society when religion is undoubtedly struggling to establish a cohesive identity within an increasingly secular society.

The production

It’s been a few years since I’ve had the pleasure of catching a play directed by Greg Hersov. The last was Harvey, also at the Royal Exchange, where despite never making an appearance, I felt the spirit of that six foot bunny on set as though it was a member of the cast! Hersov managed the subject masterfully. I had high hopes for Antigone. Although an altogether different play, Harvey being the exploration of honesty and goodness in the 1940s, Antigone being a classic Greek tragedy penned by Sophocles, the poet and playwright who devised ‘Oedipus the King’, I was still sure I could expect great things from such a seasoned director. I wasn’t disappointed. Out of a dense dramatic script, Hersov managed to extract the most identifiable issues for the audience to absorb. Using the music of clarinettist Arun Ghosh to accentuate the drama worked well, managing to heighten the tension and adding a sense of maddening torment.

The Cast

Matti Houghton (Antigone)

Houghton’s performance was captivating. Her visible youth leaked vulnerability, which sharply contrasted with her characters bludgeoning rage, startling indignation, and faith-driven self-assurance. Houghten managed to combine these conflicting visual-verbal messages with such slick ease she gave me goose-bumps. Houghton’s a charismatic actress, with the ability to captivate an audience by merely breathing.

Ben Addis (Haemon)

This is Addis’ first play at the Royal Exchange. His ability to reveal frustrated, desperate disappointment with mere facial expressions is wonderful to watch. His stand off with King Creon (his father) was exciting due to his injection of energy and youthful exuberance and worth booking a ticket to experience.

Claire Cordier (Ismene)

Cordier is also making her debut at the Royal Exchange and was totally convincing as Antigone’s terrified sister. Her pleas for sanity in her sister are enough to weaken the most hardened heart. A truly talented actress who I will keep an eye out for in the future

Ian Redford (Creon)

It is Redford’s first appearance at the Exchange too; as sinister as he is charismatic, his depiction of arrogant King Creon is too good to miss. His past credits include: The Long and The Short of It, Remains of the Day, and soon to be screened on Channel 4, The Devils Whore.

Translator: Don Taylor
Lighting Designer: Robert Bryan
Sound Designer: Steve Brown
Composer: Arun Ghosh
Choreographer: Mark Bruce

Antigone is running until the 8^th November

Box Office: 0161 833 9833 or royalexchange.co.uk