'Thebes' effective, articulate
REVIEW
Judge not, oh mortals, lest ye be judged.
The conflict between the "law of life" and the law of kings is among the themes at the heart of "The Burial at Thebes," poet Seamus Heaney's rendering of Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone." The spare and effective production by the Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company was presented outdoors at The Cistern Thursday night.
The story is the culmination of Sophocles' three great plays about the Oedipus saga. In it, Antigone, Oedipus' daughter-sister insists on burying her brother Polyneices, who committed treason against the state by forming an army to wage battle against Thebes.
That betrayal causes King Creon (brother-in-law of Oedipus), to threaten the citizens with death should they disobey his command to let the corpse rot.
So when it's discovered that Antigone has rejected this command, she is sentenced to death. For how can a mere woman contradict the king? And aren't the gods as concerned with civic law and order as they are with the sanctity of life and death?
Paul Bentall, with fire in his belly (and a misbehaving wireless microphone round his head) played Creon as though he were born hard-headed. His performance invited the audience to hate his tyranny.
In an ancient Greece accustomed to warfare, though, such kingly decrees likely would have provoked ambivalence from audiences, perhaps even a little sympathy. But this production chose to be fairly black and white about the whole thing.
Catherine Hamilton played Antigone with fervor and smarts, clearly articulating the dilemma. The secondary cast members were excellent, especially Richard Evans who played the blind prophet Tiresias, and all doubled as members of the chorus who sang Heaney's poetry, invoking the gods with gusto and beauty.
What are we to make of the translation? I'm of mixed mind. It was certainly effective, telling the story clearly and sounding mellifluous. It was a little too careful to spell things out. This is a myth, after all, that many know well. I can't help but wonder if Heaney's work fails to leave enough to the imagination.
That said, it is a marvel of a story, one that rings true through time. As Creon offered his first big speech about loyalty to king and state, he paused to allow the roar of a passing C-17 to dissipate. He was speaking of war even as our own war rages and our own loyalties fray.
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