Antigone

It is difficult to know where to begin with my report of Antigone by Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society other than to praise a wonderful cast of 12 for taking an incredibly wordy Greek Tragedy and delivering it in such a controlled, gripping and fast paced manner.

You might think that a play of this manner full of long monologues, minimal scene changes, limited action and generally revolving around 2 central characters would potentially drag. However this show was so gripping and slick that when the interval arrived I was in shock and could not believe that the time had passed so quickly.

Despite being a bit of a Classics enthusiast I have to admit I did not know the full story behind Antigone nor the complexity of all the characters involved, yet this version by Jean Anouilh was cleverly written with Act One almost an introduction and Act Two the main event. Charlie Grumbley as “Chorus” was almost our narrator of the evening, setting the scene from the start with a beautifully delivered monologue with the full cast in a silent moving postcard behind him. Every line had meaning, every character description perfectly matched the images being portrayed by the corresponding actor behind him and he had us engrossed from the start. Just like an artist where every stroke of a paintbrush has a purpose, every description also helped Charlie paint the picture of our story in Thebes. Charlie would continue filling in the gaps throughout the show also continuing the story at the start of Act Two, and just like the play, Charlie’s passion and exasperation also increased mirroring the plot itself. 

I will try to briefly summarise the story to put some meaning to the characters, true Greek historians may well correct me in some detail but here goes. Our story revolves around a young girl, Antigone who is desperate to bury her brother despite the protests of her Uncle, King Creon, who is determined to use his corpse as a lesson to his people due to his rebellion against Thebes. Despite being engaged to Creon’s son Antigone knows that her burial attempt will lead to her execution and here lies the dilemma of all around her.

Now despite the story predominantly revolving around Creon and Antigone, RADS had such a strong supporting cast. Susie Ordish was elegant and grace personified as the Queen who, despite not having a single line, carried off her character wonderfully. From knitting to a drop of her veil every action had purpose. Stewart Kerr made a very late appearance as Messenger, delivering a powerful final summary of the tragic events of our young characters filling the auditorium with complete silence. Phoebe Morris as the Young Page to the King remained in character the whole show, a true and loyal servant to her King and delivering her lines with great projection and a real punch. 

Rachel Hall gave us another glittering performance as the long-serving Nanny to Antigone and Ismene. She was an absolute bundle of energy showing so much love for the girls, her passion and excitement working as a fantastic contrast to the cold and calm of Antigone in the early scenes. 

Also bringing great life and soul to the scenes, and at times light relief from the drama were our 3 Guards in Anthony Monarch making his stage debut with RADS, Lee Bowles and Lee Morris as Jonas. The three of them bounced off each off spectacularly, really building their own individual characters and worked the stage and their spears at ease. Lee Morris was an absolute joy as the rather dim-witted yet loyal 1st Guard. Lee handles comic script brilliantly without it overpowering the scenes. His interaction with the King showed a vulnerable side whilst his later scene with Antigone before her demise gave us a lovely soft and compassionate side to his character. 

Antigone’s main battle in the story is not just with the King but with herself and her struggles with her Sister were not just sibling rivalry but more a reflection on her own battles with her decisions. Antigone is almost a dreamer whereas Ismene almost acts as the level headed side of her thoughts. Chloe Reid was a joy to watch as the older sister, her character truly believable. Her desire to convince her sister to resist the burial, knowing what the outcome would be, was really emotional to watch. You truly felt both the love and frustration from her as she felt Antigone almost humiliate her into eventually succumbing to her wishes in Act Two. 

Also feeling the frustration of Antigone's stubbornness was Haemon, played by Jasper Worrallo with real impact. A fantastic actor and great to see him back with RADS, he managed to (in a snapshot) convince us of his love for his betrothed. The passion between the two of them was so strong and only increased with Antigone’s insistence on pushing him away, the constant use of their love and life in the past tense building a crescendo to the almost inevitable demise. Jasper’s battle with his Dad, the King, gave us a strong and angry side compared to the doting and love-stricken Prince in his scenes with Antigone.

Now I have seen Charlotte Finn play some powerful characters before yet I have never seen an actress this young totally own a role like she did as Antigone tonight. Every single aspect of this performance was breathtaking from the lost soul almost expressionless character early on to the desperate young lover whose eyes glossed over leading to tears streaming down the face. This was a lesson in character acting to us all with her desperation totally believable. In the play she quotes that her brother must be buried or he will “wander eternally and find no rest” yet it is clear from her delivery that it is in fact Antigone who will find no rest until her own finale. Her connection with her fellow actors was sublime and totally believable, no more so than in her scenes with the King himself.

Now when you think of a Royal Leader you look for someone with a level of calm, control and strength and that is exactly what Dan Cockett delivered as King Creon. From the opening monologue in the background we could see a man of power. His long held stares, a stiff upper chin and a posture created a man in control. What was so excellent in Dan’s portrayal was how the character changed and developed during his epic power struggle with Antigone. His speeches were slick, his vocal tweaks demonstrated the almost desperation in the struggle and his character jumped from anger to patronising ruler with such ease.

For almost 40 minutes of Act Two the stage belonged to these Two talented performers and they had me gripped the whole time. Both characters were so engrossed in their own struggles that neither one could win. Dan switched tack so many times, even getting physical with Antigone and even that couldn’t convince her to change her mind. Both unwilling to compromise at all. I loved the way Charlotte’s frostiness and calm resilience antagonised Dan ever further with the scene building and building and the King’s temper increasing until an abrupt ending. From the passion and struggle within the scene it was almost fitting that the energy level dropped in the final scenes. Dan’s calmness and almost acceptance when he learns of his Son’s and Wife’s suicides almost a mirror reflection of Charlotte’s when learning of her own execution.

Director Gregan Davis needs a great amount of praise for this production. Not only for being brave enough to attempt it but also for the way in which his talented cast followed his direction to bring it to life. The costumes were absolutely perfect with stunning detail and the staging was the perfect backdrop for the story. 3 simple arches set around a raised walkway allowed the cast to create great dynamics to the speeches. Being able to talk down, or even up to your fellow actors when in heated debate really enhanced the power struggles. This was not staging for the sake of it, but staging that delivered a purpose and helped the character development and delivery.

Thank you RADS for yet again challenging yourselves and delivering another exceptional performance. The standards keep getting set higher and I am really looking forward to your next show, A Terry Pratchett Thriller.

 

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