Nina Segal's reworking of Sophocles' "Antigone Exits" experiments boldly with the ancient tragedy but lands unevenly in its execution. Director Jeff James stages the play at Chichester's Minerva theatre with fourth-wall breaking and direct address that blur the line between classical drama and contemporary storytelling.
The production opens with a striking image. Black tar is poured across a bright yellow stage, forming a circle that represents the dividing line between the welcome and unwelcome in Creon's Thebes. Max Bennett plays King Creon as a ruler unable to question his own laws, setting the stage for his conflict with his niece Antigone (Nina Cassells), who defies him by retrieving her brother's body for burial. The tar spreads and smears those caught in its path, a visual metaphor for how personal choices ripple outward.
The experimental approach asks cast members to step out of character. They approach a suspended microphone to share personal anecdotes. One recalls watching a fox decompose. Another speaks of a husband's death. A third describes a teenage daughter's suicide. These moments carry emotional weight, though the connection between these stories and Antigone's own struggle remains unclear.
The production prioritizes emotion over action, asking characters to describe their anger, fear and sadness rather than demonstrating it. This choice creates distance rather than intimacy. Watching performers mine personal memories to find connections to these ancient characters feels, according to the review, like observing a method acting workshop rather than experiencing tragedy.
Segal's reimagining explores how actions cascade through communities and shape lives beyond immediate consequence. That ambition shows. The visual language is inventive. But not every experimental choice coalesces into a coherent whole. The blend of personal testimony and classical narrative sometimes obscures rather than clarifies the stakes.
"Antigone Exits" runs at the Minerva theatre, Chichester, until 17 October.