Antigone faces death for burying the body of her disgraced brother, Polynices, in defiance of her uncle King Creon, the ruler of Thebes. The Chorus (Nick Quartley) introduces the characters.

Jenni Mackenzie gives an intelligent performance of Antigone, but it often sounds whining and strained; even when the character is under pressure her tone does not change. It may be more striking to flip the character's mood momentarily, so that when she returns to being sad and resolute, it reinforces the tragedy of her fate. Cate Field plays Ismene - an older, more attractive sister overlooked in favour of Antigone. She has a strong, clear voice but at times her face is hidden behind her hair, which weakens the impact of her performance. Lisa Barnett plays Nurse as a wonderfully concerned, slightly nosy, genuine dear who feels responsible for the girls as they are orphans. Some actors seem to be under-used - such as Joshua Hall as Page and Messenger.

As the ending is predetermined, the play has to work hard to make it worth sitting through. Joseph Kenneway's King Creon is not a two-dimensional baddie, and presents a moral dilemma - he is fond of Antigone and doesn't want to punish her. She doesn't listen to his reason for denying Polynices's funeral-rites: that this action is intended to bring peace to Thebes after civil war and that no-one is above the law. The guards who arrest Antigone are just doing their job and The Chorus says that they are 'just human beings afraid of their wives with children who fear them'. The play questions the nature of right and wrong.

Jimmy Keene's set has an interesting mix of modern and ancient styles. On stage are large marble pillars, some broken, evoking ancient Greece. As the play opens, closed-circuit-television (CCTV)- like surveillance images are shown on a screen of a girl running through the city. Stephanie Ross's costume design is a mixture of modern riot-police uniforms for the guards and a more classical look for the rest of the cast, who wear bright tunics and trousers.

The script is based on a 1943 version by Jean Anouilh (1910 – 1987). It is updated by director Janet Boam in some respects such as the inclusion of CCTV, but antiquated in others such as the use of The Chorus to narrate, moralise and instruct. The mix does not quite gel.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Lisa Barnett - Nurse. Merlin Bateman - Third Guard. Cate Field - Ismene. Joshua Hall - Messenger / Page. Ned Jolliffe - Second Guard. Joseph Kenneway - Creon. Jenni Mackenzie - Antigone. Angela Myers - Eurydice. Alistair Nunn - Haemon. Adam Potterton - First Guard. Nick Quartley - Chorus. Understudies: Sabrina Bartlett - Antigone. Rachel Mawditt - Ismene.

Company Credits: Writer (of Antigone, c 442 BC) - Sophocles (c 497/6 - 407/6 BC). Writer (of this production of Antigone, 1943) – Jean Anouilh (1910 – 1987). Translated by – Lewis Galantiθre. Director – Janet Boam. Technical Director – David Long. Lighting Designer – David Long. Lighting Operator – Chris Cooper. Sound Designer and Composer – Bill Moulford. Sound Operator – Dominic Hargreaves. Stage Manager – Daniel Whitley. Technical Stage Manager - Leila Battison. Assistant Stage Manager – Fiona Sinclair. Set Designer – Jimmy Keene. Set Builders – Alice Cannings / Stella Macdonald / Celina Macdonald / Violet Macdonald / Gareth Morris / Brian Plater / Louis Spiteri / Daniel Whitley / Alan Whitley. Costume Designer – Stephanie Ross. Costume Assistants – Carolyn Dodd / Anneka White. Hair and Make Up – Harriet Ayles. Props – Leila Battison. Publicity – David Guthrie / Joanna Matthews / Tania Little. Programme Co-ordination – Leila Battison. Graphic Designer – Joseph Kenneway. Photography – Felicity Peacock. Driver – Jeff King / Louis Spiteri. Production Manager – Kate Saffin. Company - Oxford Theatre Guild. Website - www.oxfordtheatreguild.com

END

(c) Wendy Thomson 2010

reviewed Friday 26 March 2010 / Oxford Playhouse, Oxford UK

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2010

www.fringereport.com