Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Antigone
Mythography
Genre: Theatre
Venue: Salle Emilienne Moreau - Evrard at The French Institute of Scotland
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
An outstanding piece of theatre which has been concisely adapted to make it as relevant to today’s audience as it would have been when it was written.
Review
As we enter the theatre, the cast are already on the stage. The stage is split into two, with two translucent ” wing curtains” at the side, with actors on both sides and one in the middle. The use of the curtain, darkness and smoke combined with the music gives the audience a strong sense of foreboding and we understand the characters behind the curtain represent ghosts of the past.
The prologue leaves the audience in no uncertainty that this is a tragedy and few – if any – will get out of this alive. Far from it being a `” spoiler”, it paints a picture of what’s to come. Jamie Richard – Stewart delivers this very effectively – it is very measured, clear the pacing was excellent- slowing down in parts to add tension, speeding up when necessary.
The direction is exceptional. When not ” acting”, the performers become ” human props”, as the performance exceptionally blends physical theatre. The cast each carry a light, which adds depth and meaning to the performance. It also makes it easier to see their facial expressions and highlights their importance. At times the use of the individual lights also makes them feel like ghosts.The changes of colour from the light – starting as a warmer white wash and becoming a colder, chilling and clinical shade give us an added sense of what to come. The individual lights capture the performance perfectly.
While Antigone is obviously a tragedy – and in fact left more than one audience member in tears ( myself included) a key component to this was the snippets of comedy. The scene between Nana and Antigone about the dog, and much later an interaction between the guard and Antigone right before she is expecting to be executed about the “perks” of being a guard were obvious highlights. The ways in which these characters had been explored – the attention to detail was highly commendable and delivered an outstanding performance.
Clare Robinson gives a masterclass in ” single mindedness” as Antigone, while adding a raw sensitivity to the role, which means that the audience cannot help but be moved by her perspective. The portrayal leaves us with a heady balance – part of us admire her passion for the cause and understand her perspective, while the other part of us feel the frustration and would like her to alter her opinions.
The combination of the tone of her voice, the speed of delivery, the levels and the clear delivery of the characterisation led to a magnetising portrayal.
Angus Morrison as Creon is perhaps the stand out in this performance. The range of emotions he so effectively and convincingly portrayed – from frustration to anger, desperation including pleading with her to consider his son was spellbinding. We could not take our eyes off him. He embodied the character so effectively and convincingly we could not look anywhere else. Watching his demeanour change at the sight of his son was inexplicably sensitive and emotional. The depth of emotion explored as his son asks for Antigone’s life to be spared and describes how his father had looked after him as a child was so effective and powerful you could not fail to be moved. We empathised with him and we wanted his father to change his mind – if only to spare him the agony we could foresee him facing.
Due to Morrison’s outstanding portrayal we were able to see how Creon was ” backed into a corner”, with no easy way out of the situation.
The combination of a water tight cast, slick directing and a well adapted script made this an outstanding performance which was as relevant today as it originally would have been.
