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Antigone, Interrupted

 
Stephanie Green Review by Stephanie Green 4 Published: 21 Feb 2020 Traverse Theatre Show Dates: 20 Feb 2020-12 Mar 2020

Experimental, inventive and hugely daring, Antigone, Interrupted is Sophocles re-imagined, the first production by Joan Clevillé since becoming Artistic Director of Scottish Dance Theatre. This is physical theatre, body-based sound and spoken text, both excerpts from a translation of Sophocles by Don Taylor and Owen McCafferty and ‘interruptions’ of contemporary text, sound and song. Those expecting dance or classical theatre will be disappointed but the extraordinary physical theatre performer, Solène Weinachter, playing all parts may well win you over.

Sophocles it is not... But this is a company that dares…

Events in Barcelona in 2017, and Clevillé’s own Catalan background shocked him into exploring the theme of civil disobedience and led him to Sophocles’ Antigone where a teenager challenges the state. Creon, the tyrant, who has ruled that the body of a traitor, Antigone’s brother, shall not be buried but left to the dogs is opposed by her knowing that this will lead to her death. Interestingly, Creon is not portrayed as a villain. His point of view is given rationally, explaining that he wants to do the right thing. This production is open enough and the stronger for it, leaving the audience to see parallels with modern issues and events.

The only explicit intervention is a feminist pro-Suffragette song to the tune of Mary Poppins' Sister Suffragette performed with gusto and humour. Other ‘interruptions’ are Solène’s charming interactions with the audience, comments such as ‘It’s Greek tragedy so it won’t end well, you know’ and reminiscences of seeing Jean Anouilh ’s version of Antigone when she was a child of seven. These add variety of tone and pace and make the piece humourous and accessible. Whether this adds or distracts from the searing force of the original Sophocles is debatable.

However, the piece rests on Solène’s physical performance. Those who saw her in Lost Dog’s Romeo and Juliet at the Edinburgh Fringe will know how talented she is. Her extraordinary contortions (influenced by Lost Dog’s Ben Duke and his performance methods) are based on tension and release leading to original and expressive movement. The most arresting scene is when Solène barks like a dog. Potentially risible, as the barking goes on and on and on it has the visceral effect of Greek women keening and the audience too is overwhelmed. It is also an intriguing and ambivalent symbol since it is dogs who are desecrating her brother’s corpse. The extraordinary vocal skills employed to achieve this is based on Nadine George’s technigue used by the voice coach, Jean Sangster. It is only a pity that Solène’s voice when delivering text could often not be heard but this is a glitch that will surely be put right over the run.

Luke Sutherland’s recorded sound track is also highly original and apt, the sounds amazingly created by using the body. Emma Jones' lighting is strong and economical, suggesting a minimal set, but the audience are too often blinded and Solène’s face left in shadow. However, the atmospheric effect helps suggest Antigone’s isolation.

Ultimately, Sophocles this is not. The piece lacks the force of Greek Tragedy, with downgraded text and distracting ‘interruptions’ and for this critic, Antigone’s dilemma, apart from the exceptional barking scene, fails to devastate. However, it is well worth going to see, despite style over substance. This is a company that dares, and if you don’t dare, you don’t achieve anything really original and strong. Their strengths are physical theatre. I would like to have seen more of that.

Amir Nisi

Stephanie Green

Stephanie Green has reviewed Theatre and Dance in Edinburgh since 2011 but previously travelled widely, mainly in Eastern Europe and Russia, writing about puppetry. She also studied shadow puppetry and sacred dance in Bali. In the 1970s, she trained as a puppeteer at the Little Angel, London and later worked at the alternative In the Heart of the Beast Mask and Puppet Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. After training at the Place, the London School of Contemporary Dance, in her 20s she then gave up dancing until starting again in her 60s just for fun. She has recently danced in a community group with Barrowland Ballet (at the Edinburgh Fringe, 2013), Oceanallover and at the South Bank, London as part of the Festival of the Silver Age. She is also a novelist, playwright and poet. www.stephaniegreen.org.uk/

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The Blurb:

What do you do when the state becomes the oppressor? Would you put your body on the line?

A young girl ready to die to defend what she thinks is right. A king determined to impose his will as the rule of law. Antigone, Interrupted re-imagines a classic story for a contemporary world through the body and the voice of a single performer.

In his first creation as Artistic Director of Scottish Dance Theatre, choreographer Joan Clevillé presents an intimate solo work created with acclaimed performer Solène Weinachter. Using his distinctive mixture of dance, theatre and storytelling, Clevillé examines the notion of dissent in democracy, and how the female body can be the target of oppression but also a powerful tool for resistance.

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