The Three Theban Plays

Antigone is the final play in the Three Theban Plays, a series of tragedies written by the Greek playwright Sophocles in the 5th century BCE. The trilogy tells the connected story of a single family and explores themes such as fate and divine law.

The first play, Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King), tells the story of a boy who is prophesied at birth to one day kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to prevent the prophecy from coming true, his parents abandon him. However, without knowing his true identity, Oedipus eventually grows up to become king, unknowingly kills his father, and marries his mother as his queen. The play ends tragically when his mother takes her own life, and Oedipus, devastated by the truth, blinds himself and exiles himself from the city of Thebes, believing he is unworthy to see the world after his crimes.

In the second play, Oedipus at Colonus, Oedipus wanders the countryside accompanied by his daughter Antigone, who guides him as he seeks redemption for his past actions. Eventually, the gods forgive him and declare that the place where he dies will become sacred. This occurs at Colonus, near Athens, despite attempts by Creon—his uncle—to persuade him to return to Thebes.

The final play, Antigone, takes place after Oedipus' sons, Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, have killed each other during a civil war over control of Thebes. After Eteocles refuses to share power, Polynices attacks the city with foreign allies. When Creon becomes ruler, he declares that Eteocles will be honoured with a proper burial, while Polynices, considered a traitor, must remain unburied. Antigone defies this order and buries her brother, believing that divine law is more important than human law. As punishment, Creon orders her to be sealed inside a cave to die. His son Haemon, who is engaged to Antigone, tries to persuade Creon to release her, but Creon refuses to listen. When the prophet Tiresias warns that the gods are angered by Creon's decision, he finally decides to free Antigone. However, it is too late. Antigone has already taken her own life. Haemon, overcome with grief, attempts to kill his father before taking his own life, and Creon's wife, Eurydice, also takes her life upon hearing the news. By the end of the play, Creon has lost everything.

After watching a modern version of Antigone with Jodie Whittaker as Antigone, and doing some research into Sophocles and Ancient Greek Theatre, we went on to focus working under the style of Felix Barrett's, Punchdrunk.

Punchdrunk in Practice

For my first scripted performance, I will be working under the style of Punchdrunk. To do this, I will practice Punchdrunk techniques and approaches in rehearsals. I think my biggest challenge in the process will be working with a text, rather than developing a devised piece of theatre - how Punchdrunk conventionally work.

I am playing Creon, the King. My partner (who is playing Antigone) and I are performing the scene just before Antigone gets sent to be exiled. Our main aim is to effectively and harshly portray the uncomfortable tension created between the two characters; one of which is proud enough to die knowing she was right, the other, too overcome with power to show any remorse. 

We are setting our scene in the bin depot of a council estate in the present day. I will be a drug lord, not from the estate, wearing a suit and boots, lurking in corners and being violent and aggressive. I will attempt to remain quiet and maintain a sinister demeanour.