Posted Friday, July 31, 2009

Last night, at the Cultural Centre’s stage-in-the-round Studio Theatre, nine actors in Theatre du Pif’s production of Antigone stood before an audience still taking their seats. The actors faced one another in a circle and stretched. Yes, stretched, like runners readying to jog. Their formal preparations, it became clear, had ended, and all that remained was for their colleague, the tenth actor, to arrive and commence the tragedy.

From its unorthodox opening, this Antigone, directed by Jovanni Sy, kept us guessing and gripped. The story – about the title heroine’s campaign to bury her slain brother Polynices in defiance of her future father-in-law Creon, king of Thebes – pits ideals against order. Antigone is a prickly contradiction. She seeks honour for Polynices but admits her efforts are for herself; she insists upon martyrdom but openly fears it; and she demands to be heard yet refuses to indulge others’ views, however well-intentioned.

As Antigone, Bonni Chan creates an appropriately complex portrait: one minute she skips about and speaks with the lilt of a little girl, the next she roars with full-bodied fury. Lee Chun-chow convincingly renders a Creon whose resolve at first equals Antigone’s, but, as their confrontation prolongs, he unravels, drawing us closer in.

The entire cast shines. Sean Curran’s one-man Chorus nails the tone: he is frank, familiar, and ultimately authoritative for the questions he raises. The others, especially Victor Pang as a guard, register strongly for the humour they sprinkle into the fireworks. Dialogue alternates between English and Cantonese with surprising authenticity.

The set, sparingly lit and stripped down to essential props, allows the audience to rightly fixate on the acting. During one electrifying exchange, Creon thunders at Antigone, “Thebes deserves a kingdom without drama!” We might agree, except that we need more powerful theatre like this in Hong Kong.

As of opening night, tickets were still available for the remaining shows. Call 2734 2009 to enquire.

Bong Miquiabas