Review: 'Antigone Exits' Delivers an Experimental but Uneven Take on Greek Tragedy

A new production of 'Antigone Exits' at Chichester's Minerva theatre offers an experimental reworking of the Sophoclean tragedy, according to a review in The Guardian, blending classical storytelling with fourth-wall-breaking direct address, though not all of its ideas come together successfully.

Written by Nina Segal and directed by Jeff James, the production follows King Creon, played by Max Bennett, as he condemns his niece Antigone, played by Nina Cassells, for defying his order and retrieving her brother's body for burial. The review notes a visual motif of a dark, tar-like liquid spreading across a bright yellow stage, symbolizing the growing consequences of the characters' choices.

Breaking the fourth wall

The review highlights the production's use of cast members stepping outside their Greek characters to share personal-sounding anecdotes, including stories touching on grief and loss, delivered directly to the audience via a suspended microphone. While described as moving, the review notes that the connections between these personal stories and Antigone's own plight are sometimes tenuous.

The reviewer observes that the production's emphasis on characters describing their emotions, rather than dramatizing them through action, creates a distancing effect that can undercut its emotional impact. This approach is likened to watching a method-acting workshop rather than a fully realized dramatic scene.

Overall, the review characterizes 'Antigone Exits' as an admirably experimental production whose ambition occasionally outpaces its execution, leaving some of its boldest ideas only partially realized on stage.