Theatre-lovers on Leeside have the chance this week to savour one of the offerings at this year's International Festival of Ancient Drama at Delphi in Greece when a newly formed Cork company, DonAd, put on its production of Sophocles's classic tragedy, Antigone.
"The play explores an individual, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, defying the laws of the state through the decree of her uncle, King Creon, that she should not bury the body of her brother who was killed in battle while attacking the city because Creon deems he was a traitor," said director Donal Courtney.
"Creon is acting on behalf of the state, upholding its laws, while Antigone is acting on behalf of her family and on behalf of humanity. It's a classic Greek tragedy but our version makes references to Irish history. It has a very strong Irish and Celtic feel to it," added Donal, from Killarney.
The DonAd production is based on a new translation by American classical scholar Marianne McDonald. Her version has been acclaimed by one English theatre critic as "lending the play plenty of punch without depending too heavily on anachronistic language".
DonAd's Antigone makes liberal use of music, including Christy Moore's Irish Laws and Irish Ways, all arranged by cast member Ciaran Ruby, while bodhrans are used both as instruments and as props, including as a symbolic echoing of the dustbin lid protests by Belfast women during the Troubles.
The DonAd production, which is being funded privately without any grant assistance, also features Maeve McGrath as Antigone as well as Cork-based actors, Cora Fenton, Peadar Cox, Jon Whitty and Conor Tallon and Kerry singer/songwriter Colm O Suilleabhain, who plays the singer.
Antigone, which officially opens at the Half Moon Theatre on Thursday for a nine-night run, has also been chosen as the sole Irish representative in the European Day of Culture on Friday, when artists in various cities across the continent will perform classic works by Greek scholars to celebrate the European ideal.
Said Donal: "We were invited to participate in the European Day of Culture following our invite to the Festival of Ancient Greek Drama in Delphi. We're delighted to be involved especially in the Delphi festival as we're the only representative from the English-speaking world, so that's quite an honour."