Storyhouse's ANTIGONE to Premiere This October

Storyhouse's hotly anticipated new adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone will receive its premiere on the main stage this autumn.

Award-winning poet Hollie McNish has created the modern retelling of the Greek masterpiece which will be staged from October 13-23.

Every performance will also be live streamed.

The production was due to form part of the Storyhouse Originals season of plays in spring 2020 until the Coronavirus pandemic struck and the country was plunged into a nationwide lockdown.

It is being co-produced with TripleC, a Manchester-based disabled-led organisation that supports access and representation for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people across the arts and screen sectors.

The collaboration will ensure Antigone is accessible to creatives and actors as well as to the audience, including captioning at each performance.

In addition to the performances, there will also be a comprehensive schools' programme including pre and post-show workshops exploring the new text.

McNish, a former poet in residence at Storyhouse, has published five books of poetry including Nobody Told Me for which she won the Ted Hughes Award.

Her poem Mathematics about immigration has had more than two million views on YouTube, while she is currently preparing to continue her tour of her latest book Slug which she will bring to Storyhouse later in the year.

In 2016 the poet and spoken word artist co-wrote Offside: The Play with Sabrina Mahfouz which was inspired by the history of women's football.

Antigone, which is her first solo play, is a deadly political drama which centres around the daughter of Oedipus.

When Oedipus's sons Eteocles and Polyneices kill each other in a bitter battle for the throne of Thebes, their uncle Creon declares himself king and decrees that while Eteocles be buried, Polyneices is a traitor and his body should be left outside the city walls to rot.

It is up to Antigone to brave her uncle's wrath and honour her brother by giving him the burial he deserves - even if it means her own death in return.

Storyhouse artistic director Alex Clifton said: "It's 18 months later than planned, but I'm really excited that we're finally going to be able to present Hollie's vibrant adaptation of this important work - a work which poses pertinent questions, about parenthood, gender, immigration and the role of the state in all our lives.

"This modern retelling will place the voices of young women and girls firmly to the fore, with girls from our youth theatre taking the role of the chorus."

Antigone was first due to be staged in May 2020. All existing bookers have been contacted by Storyhouse.

to find out more and book visit storyhouse.com

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