(By Srivatsa Garg)
" On the 4th November 2014, I went to see a
contemporary version of the Greek Play Antigone at Watford Palace Theatre.
Initially, the scene was that of a subway under a bridge; I think this may have
been because it suggests a certain illegality and a sense of violence, which
therefore gave the audience an impression of the play. It was very metallic and
a large proportion of it was covered by concrete; this made it seem depressing
and unnatural. The gate at the back of the set made it look like a prison,
adding to the depressed atmosphere; this expresses the idea which is made clear
later on: the only way to escape Thebes is death. This ghostly, dramatic set
marked the play to be a tragedy, and served as ‘setting the mood’ for the
performance’. However, the set did not involve the audience since none of it
went beyond the fourth wall; the set was spread out so some of it was at the
back of the stage whilst other parts were almost leaning off the edge and in
the centre of the stage there was a large space for the acting to take place. I
believe that this could be symbolism that all the gang members have surrounded
themselves with a depressing, dangerous and destructive life."
(By Callum Crockford)
"On the 4th of
November we went to the Watford Palace Theatre to see Antigone. It was directed
by Marcus Romer and it was a modern day adaptation of Sophocles’ play penned by
playwright Roy Williams. Upon entering, the atmosphere was set as you would
expect. Knowing it was a tragedy you could see they were staying faithful to
the original; the colour scheme was very simplistic with only dim lighting
creating a brooding and wary atmosphere. The set itself was very grey and sent
out feelings of an alley way or even a prison as a there was what looked like a
cage at the back of the stage. In an alley way you are secluded and have nowhere to hide, often you associate
alley ways with crime so it adds hostility and fear to the setting. This meant
we became aware that something bad was about to happen when the sinister
backdrop combined with low humming music, the tension started to build as we
anticipated what would happen. The opening was never going to be silly or
comical as the set had created a threatening atmosphere. Immediately from the
first scene this came to a head as a brutal death occurred setting the play in
motion, it started with the most pivotal scene as Antigone’s brothers murder
each other."
(By Daniel Booth)
(By Daniel Booth)
" The opening moment of the play saw a man lying on the floor
and a girl tending to him; although this meant nothing at the time (as it
correlated in no explicit way to the following moments) it had relevance at the
end as it was the closing moment of the play. The moment showed Esme (played by
Frieda Thiel) giving Creo water whilst he lay silently, feebly on the floor,
using his coat as a blanket (like he had lost everything) after he had drove
his son, Eamon, to commit suicide. This was an effective moment because it was
repeated at the beginning and the end, therefore implying that the storyline of
the lives of the characters is repeated (history seems to repeat itself). Following
this brief moment, came dramatic, thundering music, thin white light and a
troop of dark, silent, hooded characters chasing a man. This was an effective
opening moment as it instantly drew in the audience as they wildly guessed what
the cause for such music and actions, such mystery and powerful emotion could
be, since the characters generated an air of mystery because they said nothing
and the poor light hid their faces which, in return, provided neither facial
expression nor detail over their identities or motives. The director may have
intended this to represent the power and authority of the gang: anonymous yet
ghostly. The music also gave the effect of a major moment in the storyline of
the play; which it was, possibly the most important moment in the entire play
as it was the cause for every event which followed. "
(By Callum Crockford)
" The set was constantly
evolving in a subtle manner which suggested that the gang world is small and
unstable; much like the range of emotions within the play which was limited to
anger and fury. It felt was a weakness of the
play that it lacked a dynamic range of emotions as there was an endless amount shouting
and tension. An example is that when Eamon’s mum found he had died she
expressed only anger – not pain nor grief – which made the play seem to be less
realistic and less complex. "
(By Callum Crockford)
" The pillars on the side of the stage subtly
remind us of ancient Greek architecture, the roots of this play, but don’t
compromise the feeling of modernism the play attempts to achieve. This effect
of modernism is sought through other adaptations too, such as the renaming of
characters. ‘Tig’ was originally ‘Antigone’, but in order to make it seem more
modern, it, along with the names of almost everyone in the play, was shortened.
Another adaptation was the setting. In Sophocles’ version, the setting was a
great city, and Creon was the king. Here, it is based in a criminal underworld,
where Creo is a gang leader who runs a nightclub. This was done in order to
make the play seem more relatable to the modern day. "
(By Srivatsa Garg)
"What most stood out for
me was the technical quality of the play as light and setting were used
effectively. For example, the set was framed by large pillars; paying homage to
the play's Greek roots. These large columns were rotting away and drew parallels with Tig’s family
who were once great but are now falling apart. Initially Creo was a successful ruler, but
with Antigone’s rebellion he feels he is losing control of his city. As his
power unravels, the play culminates with his downfall and the death of his son. Creo ends up like the pillars, crumbling and weak."
(By Daniel Booth)
"A permanent fixture was
the gate at the back which had implications of many things, for one it
suggested Thebes was like a prison and there was no escape. This was reinforced
by Antigone and Haemon discussing that there was no escape from Thebes choosing
death as the only option, if you follow through with the idea of Thebes being a
prison you realise that if they left then they would be social outcasts. In a
way the gate was symbolic of a point of no return, if you crossed the line you
couldn’t come back. This is shown in when Haemon and Antigone commit suicide,
once they cross that line they will never come back."
(By Daniel Booth)
" The gate was used effectively when Tig was
imprisoned. She jumped up onto it, displaying her sense of desperation. The
gate represents the bars of a prison cell, and therefore the futility of
escape. When Tig jumps upon these bars and tries to get through, it shows her
desperation and persistence, even when she knows she can’t do anything. "
(By Srivatsa Garg)
" I feel that the use of lighting in this
play was very effective. The lighting reflected the tone of the play. For
example, in the scene of Tig and Eamon’s death the lighting turned blue, the
colour of the sea. The sea and the colour blue are linked with the attributes
sadness and calmness. This perfectly reflected the events, as although it was
sad to see the two dying, there was an overwhelming sense of calmness as they
found peace. This feeling was matched by the use of sound. An exciting build-up
of music preceded the silence of Tig and Eamon’s death, punctuating the
calmness the silence brought. "
(By Srivatsa Garg)
"The performance of Creo by Mark Monero was a personal highlight …
But one thing stood out for me, his body language. He controlled every scene he was in through the way he held himself; he strutted around the stage boldly talking down to everyone else. He towered over all and he walked with his chest stuck out as though, through this confidence it asserted him as the king he believed himself to be."
(By Daniel Booth)
"I feel the start of the
play did a good job of establishing Thebes and its hierarchy. It never wasted
time and we met the most important characters quickly. We met Creo the
tyrannical ruler who wants control of everything, our protagonist Antigone who
wants to rebel and also the voice of reason Esme. An example of how they
established Creo was how his sentries acted towards him, they would rarely
interrupt him when he spoke, and this conveyed a real fear as they did not want
to upset him. As he swaggered around the stage he regularly was positioned in
front of them, this told the audience he was of a larger importance than them.
It would have undermined his importance if he was nearer the back of the scene
as to the audience it would make him seem less significant."
(By Daniel Booth)
"The performance of Creo by Mark Monero was a personal highlight …
But one thing stood out for me, his body language. He controlled every scene he was in through the way he held himself; he strutted around the stage boldly talking down to everyone else. He towered over all and he walked with his chest stuck out as though, through this confidence it asserted him as the king he believed himself to be."
(By Daniel Booth)
" Creo begins to weaken as more people stand-up against him or
tell him he is wrong. Antigone rebels against him; Eamon pleads for him to
change her fate; and Tyrese informs him that he is taking the incorrect course
of action. Consequently, as this happens he seems to walk less confidently and
to anxiously fiddle with his ring more and more as the play progresses. I think
this implies he felt less comfortable in the ‘seat of power’ as people rose
against him. He became increasingly aware of how unwise his judgements were but
was too proud to change them."
(By Callum Crockford)
"Antigone (played by Savannah Gordon-Liburd) is another major
character in the play. Throughout the play she is displayed as a person who is
not afraid to stand up for what she believes. Similar to the concept of the
Suffragettes, she was prepared to die in the process of getting her point
across to Thebes and therefore could be seen as a martyr. Interestingly, this
is reflected in her costume when she admits her crime to Creo. She wears a
white dress which is often associated with angels and martyrs, who are believed
to sacrifice everything in order to do the right thing. Her performance of
Antigone was bold, confident and determined. She walked with a swagger, never
shying away or looking down, but rather looking up or straight ahead which also
contributes to the idea of her being a strong, independent woman. This supports
the text which tells us that she is prepared to rebel against her city’s law in
order to carry out what she believes to be necessary and honourable."
(By Callum Crockford)
"Finally I must discuss Antigone herself, Savannah Gordon-Liburd for the most part plays Tig as one thing; defiant and determined. To do this she moves boldly around the stage and interacts with the set like no other, she stands on the furniture which in turn adds to her general level of disrespect to Creo, all others act intimidated by him but she shows no fear."
(By Daniel Booth)
"Finally I must discuss Antigone herself, Savannah Gordon-Liburd for the most part plays Tig as one thing; defiant and determined. To do this she moves boldly around the stage and interacts with the set like no other, she stands on the furniture which in turn adds to her general level of disrespect to Creo, all others act intimidated by him but she shows no fear."
(By Daniel Booth)
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