The Everyman Theatre Company Cardiff’s latest production of Antigone offers an beguiling reimagining of Sophocles’ timeless tragedy. This all-female adaptation relocates the action to a setting inspired by the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, complete with symbolic dragon imagery that evokes both Welsh identity and the historical role of women in anti-nuclear activism.
The chorus is reinterpreted as inhabitants of the Theban peace camp and in a matriarchal society. A diverse collective, ranging from a rainbow-jumper-clad maternal figure to mystics, eco-warriors, and more militant activists, brings texture and energy to the performance. Their presence reinforces the communal and political dimensions of the play, even if the conceptual framing does not always deepen the original text’s moral and philosophical tensions. Is this an anti-war approach, an anti male approach?
Performance-wise, the production is uneven but frequently compelling. Alison Shephard delivers a commanding and nuanced Creon, capturing both authority and fragility. Linda Vickers’ Tiresias is another highlight, imbued with gravitas and quiet intensity. In the title role, Ella Parry offers a strong and emotionally resonant Antigone, effectively conveying defiance and vulnerability. Meanwhile, Alex Houston provides welcome comic relief as the guard, striking a balance that entertains without undermining the play’s seriousness.
Directed by Brian van Duyn and based on the translation by Marianne McDonald, this interval-free production is brisk and accessible. Its clarity and pacing make it engaging for contemporary audiences, particularly those less familiar with Greek tragedy.
However, while the gender reversal and modern political setting are visually and conceptually bold, they ultimately add little to our understanding of the play’s central themes. The enduring power of Antigone, its exploration of authority, resistance, and moral law, remains intact, but not significantly reinterpreted. This is an entertaining and approachable production, elevated by several standout performances, yet its innovations feel more academic than transformative.
https://www.chapter.org/whats-on/everyman-theatre-antigone
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Until March 21.
Main image Owain Miller, Steven Smith and Dan Thomas