★★★★★

“a magnificent tale of what it is to be human”

Antigone [On Strike] is a most intriguing, interactive show where you get to vote by responding to questions related to the show and its subject matter, like a creative poll full of suspense and challenging arguments. Through a series of student workshops in East London, writer and director Alexander Raptotasios brings us a tragic story of two Muslim sisters that have been treated with prejudice and hate, indicating how human rights are so delicate and often overlooked for the ‘sake of the collective’s safety’.

A 14-year- old girl, Esmeh, left the UK to become part of the Islamic State in Syria. She now finds herself in a refugee camp, her UK citizenship revoked, her appeal to return to the UK rejected and with her baby seriously ill. She and her sister Antiya, who’s back in London, are desperate to bring her home, but no one listens or cares to help. So Antiya decides to go on a hunger strike, hoping to set things in motion and create change before it’s too late for Esmeh and her child.

The structure of the play mixes TV debates, news updates, social media posts and live streams, video calls (video content created by Vittoria Belli), personal interactions and public ones to create a piece that is electric. The similarities to Sophocle’s Antigone are there, a sibling that’s rejected by society, a powerful but insensitive leader, conflict between personal opinion and government rules to name a few, but they merely elevate a production that is more than capable to stand on its own two feet.

Spectacular acting from all the actors, who bring to flesh real people with complex intentions and different views. There is significant resonance in the father-son relationship between Home Secretary Creighton, played by Phil Cheadle, and Eammon, played by Ali Hadji-Heshmati, who disagrees with his father’s way of handling Esmeh’s case and decides to stay true to his own convictions, even if that means going against his father publicly. Esmeh, played by Hannah Khogali, doesn’t appear onstage, but we do see her on video, giving her own side of the story in a fragmentary way, a right that was taken away from her throughout her whole case. Sorcha Brooks is a wonderful host, talking to the audience, commenting on the answers we give and moving the plot forward. And the final speech of Antiya’s, played by Hiba Medina, about sacrifice and social change brings goosebumps by creating a shared moment of social consciousness and accountability.

Marco Turcich’s set comprises of a commanding white rectangular stage with an ancient Greek aesthetic, separating the auditorium into two sections, with audience on both sides. The actors walk around, jump and stand in different places, creating a balanced visual playfulness.

Anyone who’s even remotely compassionate about their fellow humans and interested in unpacking political and humanitarian issues, and that should be all of us, must watch this show. This production points out how important it is to be part of the conversation, through a magnificent tale of what it is to be human, especially during a time that the media play such a big role in every aspect of our lives.

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”

Looking for Giants is a show about obsessions, fantasies and pure thrill. Three different men invade the narrator’s life. The setting changes, but the situation doesn’t. Excitement, potential, inevitable let down, then repeat. Isn’t that what life is about though? The people that swoop in and change your life forever? All the marks they leave on you, while you try to make sense of something that will never make perfect sense? Because human relationships are too complicated for that.

Our protagonist, or narrator, is an undergraduate student. A very vulnerable age where the threshold of adulthood, with all the freedom and terror it brings with it, looms ahead. On a stage that has only the essentials, a chair and a mic stand, Abby McCann comes in and starts sharing her innermost fantasies. Little by little, we notice a pattern unravelling, in a way that makes the storytelling feel almost like a raw confession. Firstly, there is the university tutor, who appears to be indifferent, but still somehow pulls her in and makes her want to go to sort of battle against him. Secondly, an older man on a dating app, which prompts a purely sexual chain of interactions through texts. Thirdly, a university student who, after a long time of teasing, turns into a mere fantasy of what could have been. All of them excite her and tickle her imagination to the point of turning her world upside down. But in the end, she stands in front of us to point out that it’s the emotional whirlwind that matters to her. She’s not bitter nor does she feel rejected. She ponders on what came before and is filled with adrenaline at the thought of what will come next.

The male and female dynamic is important to note, how the female narrator keeps putting herself on a lower, even weaker position compared to her male love interests. One could say it’s intentional, a conscious preference; other could argue it’s too much of a coincidence to be unrelated to how society enforces the image of women as the submissive beings, in a sexual and not sexual way. But there’s no denying that the thrill of the unknown, or rather the barely known, can be relatable outside of any gender discussions.

Skylar Turnbull Hurd’s lighting design playfully highlights parts of the conversations the protagonist has with the male characters of her stories. At times, it get confusing and almost chaotic, though not to the point of distracting us from what’s happening onstage. The mic creates an interesting layer and distinction between the different characters, while the rest of the sound design, by Sarah Spencer, is minimal and to the point.

Abby McCann, who is also the dramaturg of the show, doesn’t let the daunting nature of performing unaccompanied stop her from bringing some wonderful energy and colour to the character. Along with writer and director Cesca Echlin, they could have dug deeper to let the character’s risky and edgy personality shine even more.

It’s an intriguing play that doesn’t leave anything to the audience’s imagination. Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story, even if its explosive and thrilling nature could be accentuated more.

ANTIGONE [ON STRIKE]

Park Theatre

★★★★★

“a magnificent tale of what it is to be human”

ANTIGONE [ON STRIKE]

Park Theatre

Reviewed on 3rd February 2025

by Stephanie Christodoulidou

Photography by Nir Segal

Previously reviewed at this venue:

ANTIGONE

ANTIGONE

ANTIGONE

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”