Antigone (by Jean Anouilh)

Jean Anouilh's play Antigone [1] is a tragedy inspired by Greek mythology and the play of the same name by Sophocles. It was first performed in Paris in 1944.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans by Jocelyn de Bruyn and Fred Engelen in 1965.

Performance history in South Africa

1953: First staged in South Africa by NTO (**).

1956: Staged by the Arena Theatre Company in the YMCA Hall, with Beryl Gordon and Arthur Hall, as part of the Johannesburg Festival.

1965: The Afrikaans translation by De Bruyn and Engelen, staged by the Universiteitsteater Stellenbosch, opened in the Proefteater in Andringa Street on 1 May 1965. It was the last production in the old Proefteater before the building was demolished to make space for the new Drama Department building and the H.B. Thom Theatre built in 1966. The cast were: Isabel Combrink (Antigone), Fred Engelen (Kreon), Henk Hugo (Haimon), Thea Kirstein (Ismene), Annette Faure (Eurydike), Marie van Heerden (Noenoe), Deon Joubert (Wag 1), Pieter de Swardt (Wag 2), Etienne Pienaar (Wag 3), Mees Xteen (Boodskapper), Willem de la Querra (Hofknaap) and Joan Greyvenstein (die Koor). The décor was designed by Deon Joubert and executed by Willem de la Querra, costumes by Elise Ziervogel, make-up designed by Tine Balder, music by Bie Engelen, sound controlled by Mees Xteen, lighting designed by Fred Engelen and executed by Val Julius and the stage manager was Bettina Camerer. The production was staged for one night, on 15 May, in the Nasionale Saal in Parow, Cape Town and in September 1965 CAPAB staged the same production in the Hofmeyr Theatre in Cape Town.

197*: Staged by the Soweto Ensemble (**).

1971: An influential South African adaptation of the play was done by TECON under the title Antigone ’71.

while a version featuring a female Creon, was done by the the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department in 2003 (directed by Ranza Skordis). (See also Antigone by Sophocles below. It is often not clear from the available documents which version was used, particularly in the adaptations. If there is any uncertainty, they are listed under the Sophocles version.) Antigone by Sophokles. Adaptation by Jean Anouilh and translated into Afrikaans (?***) by Jocelyn de Bruyn and Fred Engelen. Another translation by Theo Wassenaar.

Sources

UTS Programme, May 1965.

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