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Youth Theatre Reviews |
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AntigoneBy Timberlake Wertenbaker Review by Ged Quayle (2005) The average age of the cast of this production looks to be about 16 and, to be fair, a cast this age has little chance of approaching the power and awareness needed for Antigone. In front of a packed house, OCM’s debut production doesn’t even come close.
David Fearne’s lighting design consists of a puddle of light centre stage, leaving anyone on the edges in near darkness. The use of ultra-violet light to fluoresce the chorus’ masks is interesting; unfortunately the actors are then brought downstage beyond reach of the lights, leaving them in darkness.
Director Oliver Mawdsley has chosen to cast himself as Kreon, a decision which unfortunately means he was probably unaware of the excessive mugging the chorus is prone to. It’s also unfortunate that Mawdsley has clearly been unable to dedicate the time to the part he should; his Kreon is a rather flat creation who rumpty-tumpts his lines like he’s reading them for the first time and hands in the final, shattering realisation that his family is dead as though someone’s just stolen his parking space. Mawdsley also has an (I’m sure) unintentionally hilarious approach to pronunciation; one can only assume that “sruppshus” was intended to be surreptitious, “rishon” was meant to be derision, and the point where he tells his son to cease his “endless pratting” still has me smiling.
What acting honours there are are elsewhere. Stephanie Green does her best with the part of Antigone, but struggles with a direction seemingly unaware of the concepts of pace or story. Peter Brindle has fun with the guard, and provides some much needed relief (and audibility). Despite rattling her lines off at break-neck speed Lucy Bromilow manages some fine and sensitive moments and shows definite potential. The acting honours of the evening belong to Antony Stuart-Hicks, whose Teiresias possesses a power and understanding of the text that make him look like he’s wandered in from another, far better, play.
The chorus are given little to really do. Basic audibility and stagecraft are, as one would expect from what is clearly a student production, in need of work, but all do well, and in the smaller parts shine, Rose Hardy and Sean Gannon impressing in particular.
OCM are a young company, and their courage in taking on Antigone is to be applauded, but what is not to be applauded is the decision to advertise the production as professional. OCM are a very long way from professional standard, and to create that expectation in an audience is unfair on the audience, and on the fine young people OCM is working with.
One for friends and family only..
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