Antigone, Interrupted @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Thought-provoking, thrilling and enthralling – Scottish Dance Theatre's genre-busting solo show is a triumph
Directed by Scottish Dance Theatre's Artistic Director Joan Clevillé, Antigone, Interrupted is a presentation of spiritual storytelling that is both emotionally engaging and thought-provoking. Set in the round, the audience are actively cast as a Greek chorus, and treated like friendly participants. The piece is both intense and digestible, with Parisian dancer and performer Solène Weinachter taking the audience by the hand as she intertwines the Greek tragedy of Antigone with the story of her own life and her relationship to the play.
We get to know both her and the classic story, as she celebrates the art and communion of Greek theatre and encourages the audience to connect with one another, asking us all to take a few breaths as one. It's simple, but utterly thrilling.
Weinachter's use of voice is transcendental but powerfully human, highlighting the strength that lies within a body. This is also reflected by Luke Sutherland’s mysterious soundscape, created purely from human sounds. After 75 minutes of vocal storytelling, Weinachter switches into dance mode. The way Weinachter uses her body is similarly enthralling: she moves as though bewitched.
Clevillé and Weinachter have created a real conversation starter of a piece. It’s self-aware and opens up the dialogue between audience and performer about how we engage with a piece of theatre. Antigone, Interrupted encourages the audience to look beyond the body and realise the power and strength of an individual – it only takes one person to lay their body on the line to make a worldly impact. It also makes a poignant point about the power of connecting with one another, particularly in today's political climate.
Antigone, Interrupted is a timely and empowering piece that reminds us that, at the end of the day, we are all only human.
Antigone, Interrupted tours the UK until May 2020, including Dundee Rep, 13 May and Macrobert Art Centre, Stirling, 14 May
scottishdancetheatre.com/productions/antigone-interrupted