Review: ANTIGONE, Tron Theatre
Antigone runs at the Tron Theatre until 10 October
The opening production of the Tron Theatre’s autumn/winter season is Antigone by Lulu Raczka (after Sophocles) and it is directed by Finn Der Hertog.
Sisters Antigone (Eilidh Loan) and Ismene (Holly Howden Gilchrist) are very close. While sitting in their living room playing a drinking game, the play quickly establishes that Antigone is the bolder, more confident of the two, while Ismene is quiet and a bit naive. The dynamic between the pair is excellent and the bond the two performers portray is convincing.
Perhaps part of the reason the girls are so close is because of their complicated family history. They’re known by what their father, Oedipus, has done and by the problems created by their brothers Eteocles and Polynices. The brothers started a war and it is widely considered that Polynices is the “bad” brother. After he is killed, Antigone is determined that he should have a proper burial even if he wasn’t a good man. The penalty for burying him is death but it is a risk she is willing to take.
Lulu Raczka’s script puts the two sisters and their relationship at the heart of this story. Milla Clarke’s set and costume design is modern, which makes the girls all the more relatable. One particularly striking scene shows the girls physically fighting over a life-or-death issue, yet the way they scrap feels like one of them hogging the remote control or some other petty teen argument.
Eilidh Loan and Holly Howden Gilchrist are both exceptional in their roles and work beautifully together. The action never leaves their living room, which is cosy and dotted with personal trinkets and photographs. While Antigone is the feisty, impulsive and headstrong sister, there’s a quiet power to Ismene, especially when recounting how her own life pans out after her sister’s actions.
Antigone is a bold and gripping production that looks at the relationship between Antigone and Ismene and it is brought to life with two electric performances.
Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
Get Broadway News on WhatsApp
Receive the latest updates, breaking news, and exclusive coverage from Broadway directly in WhatsApp.
Sign up for all the news on the Fall season, discounts & more...
|
Trainspotting The Musical Edinburgh Playhouse (10/19-10/24) |
|
Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand Up Years The Stand 1 (9/23-9/23) |
|
Ed Byrne: No Dramas Music Hall (2/10-2/10) |
|
Disney''s Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert Usher Hall (12/03-12/03) |
|
Alex McAleer - Mind Reader Eastgate Theatre (9/26-9/26) |
|
|
Giovanni: Unstoppable Alhambra Theatre (4/11-4/11) |
|
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Alhambra Theatre (10/07-10/10) |
|
|
Count Arthur Strong - And Its Goodnight From Me! EICC (5/30-5/30) |
|
Mark Thomas: 40 In Stand Up Years The Lemon Tree (9/24-9/24) |
|
Rollers Forever King's Theatre (10/27-10/31) |
Reader Reviews
To post a comment, you must register and login.