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.

The original text

Translations and adaptations

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

Translated into Afrikaans by Theo Wassenaar in 19**.

Performance history in South Africa

1952: First staged from 11 to 30 August 1952 by NTO during the Johannesburg Arts Festival in the University Theatre.

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.

2003: A version featuring a female Creon, was done by the the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, (directed by Ranza Skordis).

The Arena Theatre Company staged this play at the YMCA Hall in 1956, with Beryl Gordon and Arthur Hall, as part of the Johannesburg Festival. Presented by University Theatre Stellenbosch in 1965. Other productions by the Soweto Ensemble in 197*. An influential South African adaptation of the play was done by TECON in 1971 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.)