Review: smooth and eloquent synchronicity in students’ take on classic tragedy Tragic heroes do not enjoy the luxury of choice. This play is about that paradox, and about the realities of leadership. Civil war has raged within Thebes, ending in the mutual destruction of the two leaders, Eteocles and Polynices, brothers to Antigone and joint rulers after the death of their father Oedipus. The vacuum is filled by Creon, Antigone’s uncle, who reluctantly accepts the crown and brings order to the state. In order to bring about an end to the conflict, he orders that the body of one of the brothers, Eteocles, be buried with honour; the other is to be left to rot, the ultimate disgrace. Antigone cannot accept this and secretly covers her brother’s body with handfuls of earth, a symbolic burial. In defying her uncle, she brings upon herself the death penalty, which Creon must impose, though he tries hard to find a way to spare her. Creon’s soliloquys in which he tries to make his niece see sense are some of the most magnificent in all modern drama and Bryony Davies delivers them with respect and passion. Kate Thorogood is maddeningly and endearingly adolescent...

The story of Antigone has been one of the most enduring in western culture for the last 2000 years, first bought to life by the great tragedian Sophocles and adapted continually since. Antigone’s story might then seem like a natural choice for either a student to study, or be produced on the modern stage. The WUDS production of Jean Anouilh’s adaptation, directed by Anna Himali Howard, does a fantastic job of making this ancient story relevant to the modern world. Antigone tells the tale of the daughter of Oedipus and her determination to bury her brother, who has been denied burial by newly appointed King Creon, following civil war between Antigone’s two brothers. The backstory that surrounds some of the play’s relationships, which would have been common knowledge for the original audience, can be lost on a modern audience. This adaptation uses the Chorus, played exceedingly well by Lucy Bird, to interject on the action and help the audience understand the tangle of relationships between the characters. In fact, the Chorus is a stroke of genius, as the role is transformed into a stage manager, overseeing the action, and making sure the tragedy continues on its predestined course. This...