Circle Jan2018 low

THEATRE
While it was Kenneth Zammit Tabona – the artistic
director for Teatru Manoel – who commissioned the
staging of a Greek tragedy, the choice of script was left
in the director’s hands. Antigone, which is one of
Grima’s favourite tragedies, proved to have themes that
are incredibly relevant to modern society, be it locally
and internationally. The tragedy centres around
Antigone, the daughter and sister of Oedipus and his
mother, Jocasta. Following the death of her arguably
traitorous brother, Polyneices, Antigone defies the
edict by King Creon of Thebes and decides to bury
him. Defiant till her last breath, Antigone has become
an icon of resistance as she stands by her beliefs even
as it puts her life in danger.
The version being staged at Teatru Manoel in February is based
on Jean Anouilh’s version of the script. Written in 1942, while
Anouilh lived in German-occupied France during World War II,
Antigone proved to be an inspiration for those who had anti-
Nazi sentiments. At first, the play was censored by the regime
but, in 1944, it was staged at the Théátre de l’Atelier in Paris.
The city would be liberated soon after. The play then had its
debut in London in 1949, with silver-screen legends Vivienne
Leigh and Laurence Oliver both playing a role.
JANUARY 2018 ∫ Sunday Circle 25