26 Oct - 2 Nov 2002 University Theatre, The Arts Centre
The Antigone of Sophocles was the first of his Theban plays to see the light of day and was presented to his Athenian audience by the author in about 400 BC. Although a relatively early work the Antigone demonstrates Sophocles' complete mastery of the effective blending of plot, character and theme. In the aftermath of a civil war in which her two brothers Eteocles and Polyneices fell in mutual combat Antigone ignores the injunction of the new king Creon that the body of Polyneices should be left unburied to serve as food for the dogs and birds. Polyneices had waged war against his native Thebes. This treatment of his body by Creon was to serve as an object lesson of what might be expected to happen to those who had turned traitor against their home.

The essential conflict in the play is between the claims on humankind of the unwritten laws of the gods embraced by Antigone and of the man made laws of Creon. Creon is a man dedicated to restoring the health of the city after the ravages of civil war. He brings destruction upon himself and his family by a blind devotion to civic duty. His innate masculine violence is an overriding characteristic, as is his lack of sensitivity to wider ethical or theological issues.

Reviews

The cast made a good fist of presenting the play and there were some fine moments.

Ancient truths
Alan Scott, The Press, Monday 4 Nov 2002