Antigone (Oberon Classics) (Paperback)
When her dead brother is decreed a traitor, his body left unburied beyond the city walls, Antigone refuses to accept this most severe of punishments. Defying her uncle who governs, she dares to say 'No'. Forging ahead with a funeral alone, she places personal allegiance before politics, a tenacious act that will trigger a cycle of destruction.
Renowned for the revelatory nature of his work, Ivo van Hove first enthralled London audiences with his ground-breaking Roman Tragediesseen at the Barbican in 2009. Drawing on his 'ability to break open texts calcified by tradition' (Guardian), the director now turns to a classic Greek masterpiece.‘Mademoiselle Binoche may be the big draw, but there’s more to it than that. Director Ivo van Hove goes for a modern-dress approach which, along with Anne Carson’s informal new translation, gives it a sprightly tone. Not rushed, though. The thing is played to the rhythm of a doleful, tolling bell and there are few moments when voices are raised or when anyone moves at a fast pace. Fate flows at the steady pace of lava.’ Daily Mail
‘Anne Carson’s translation... constantly surprises the ear’ Guardian
‘You hear Anne Carson’s wonderful new translation – supple, salty and vivid… And by making you aware of the act of listening, it becomes, in part, about the responsibilities of democracy… the play seems to offer a challenge: what would you do?’ Financial Times