Lulu Raczka is a young English
playwright who has tackled a part of the great myth of the Royal House of
Thebes dealing with the rebellious Antigone. Her play Antigone is
“after Sophocles” but Raczka puts her own stamp on the work.
Raczka’s Antigone has
only two characters, the sisters Antigone and Ismene as teenagers at an undetermined
time. In the small New Diorama Theatre, the play begins with slow, pounding,
bass music. There is a mound in front of us full of dirt. We see two figures
rise out of the dirt and shake if off. They are Antigone (Annabel Baldwin) and Ismene
(Rachel Hosker).
Rachel Hosker and Annabel Baldwin. Photo: Ali Wright
The somber scene is quickly
dispelled as the two teenagers start dancing wildly and erotically. The opening
dialogue is about having fun, sex (“can you take it hard?), and drinking. The
innocent Ismene wants to know “what it’s it like.”
Through the girlish chatter and
enthusiasms, the story of Creon, King Oedipus and Jocasta begins to emerge. The
girls’ brothers Eteocles and Polyneices who were supposed to rule Thebes in rotation
after Oedipus have gone to war because one of them refused to pass the throne
to the other when his turn was up. The dethroned brother raised an army and
attacked Thebes. Both brothers were killed, and their uncle Creon has taken
over.
The war is over now and people
are relieved and want to celebrate. But there is some unfinished business.
Creon has forbidden anyone from giving the “bad” brother Polyneices who raised
an army and attacked Thebes burial or any last rites. The “good” brother
Eteocles who fought with Creon is a hero who deserves a military funeral full
of honors.
Antigone decides to bury Polyneices
despite the clear threat by Creon to kill anyone who does it. The main conflict
of the Antigone story is joined as the two sisters argue about the burial. Antigone,
as we all know, buries Polyneices simply because everyone deserves a decent burial.
We may translate that as a fundamental human right that Ismene simply does not espouse
or know anything about.
The sisters go through various permutations
of the arguments for and against the “illegal” burial of their brother.
Much of the dialogue consists of
short, clipped sentences many having one or two words. It follows the level of teenagers where the
word “like” appears where it has no business to be except in Teengliah.
Photo: Ali Wright
The story cannot be told without
involving other people. The men in the bar and the involvement of Haemon are
dealt by Ismene and Antigone speaking what they would have said.
The play ends with a long and
somber speech by Ismene. She tells us the usual highs and lows of human existence
from having sex, to picking up men, to marriage, children and friendships. But she
cannot get past the fate of Antigone and her own role in it. She imagines the end of her life and her
greatest fear is facing Antigone.
The story of Antigone’s sacrifice and her disobedience of
a human law in obedience to something higher as told by Sophocles is reduced to
the language and emotional and intellectual range of two teenagers. Antigone
does what she feels is right with perhaps little understanding of why she is
doing it.
The most rewarding part of the
evening is the superb performances by Baldwin and Hosker. They are on stage for
almost an hour and a half in a small circle full of dirt. They have mastered
the parts and deliver their lines clearly and sharply. Antigone is the dominant
character and Baldwin asserts that dominance well. Hosker as Ismene is the less
imposing character who tries to find a solution (and lose her virginity) so
that her sister can survive.
It is an interesting take on the
Antigone myth.
________
Antigone
by Lulu Raczka, directed by Adi Pidsley in a production by Holy
What Theatre continues until February 1, 2020 at the New Diorama Theatre,
London, England. www.newdiorama.com/whats-on/antigone.
James Karas is the Senior Editor - Culture of The Greek Press.
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