As the final production in the Open Air Theatre's 2022 season, Poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams has adapted Antigone from an original work by Sophocles that was written in 441BC.

I deliberately avoided delving too deeply into the original plot of theis Greek tradegy, preferring to come to the Ellams adaptation without preconceptions.

It was a wise move, for what Ellams has created is a gripping, moving and theatrically very demanding drama about this country in the mid-21 Century.

In his version we progress through this production into a dystopian near-future that seems all to chillingly plausible.

The play opens with Antigone (Zainab Hasan) celebrating true friendship and harmony in her multiple-cultural community, but there are darker clouds gathering.

The Muslim minority is being scapegoated for the ills of the country and exploited by the right-wing establishment and its media to cement a controlling grip on society.

Antigone's uncle Creon (Tony Jayawardena), the Home Secretary, fuels the situation still further for personal political gain and is elected Prime Minister.

His actions lead to acts of terrorism, including that carried out by Antigone's brother Polyneices, and these are used to further justify and reinforce Creon's grip on power.

Slowly, but gradually, he establishes a state where draconian laws increasing supress free speech and democratic protest, with all sectors of society seemingly prepared to accept this, for the greater good.

But Antigone is not.

The Open Air Theatre should be applauded for staging this production of Antigone, and the impact on those of us who get to see is likely to be considerable.

It goes without saying that the large cast are excellent to a one and the staging establish true dramatic pace.

The version of Antigone is however a challenging evening in the theatre.

There will be those who disagree with Ellams underlying premise, and therefore unlikely to accept his vision of the society we could become.

For those who, like me, who share Ellams fears for the country's direction, it was an evening that will strengthen a determination to do what we can to strive for a more caring and inclusive future.

Antigone

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

To 24 September 2022

Useful links

​ www.openairtheatre.com