by Marina McCready
I first came across the Antigone story in a drama class in Year 9 and it stuck with me all the way to university, when I had an opportunity to study it again in my Classics degree.
When I decided I wanted to write a musical, I had a few different ideas, but none of them excited me as much as the idea of Antigone: The Musical. Antigone is such a strong, compelling character and her relationship with her sister really spoke to me. Parts of the play translated perfectly to musical theatre- the argument between Antigone and Ismene became a duet, as did the final confrontation between Antigone and Creon, whilst Haemon’s unrequited pining for Antigone seemed an obvious subject for a ballad.
That said, adapting it wasn’t the easiest. I quickly realised that I couldn’t end my first musical in a triple suicide. This was the point when I found out that Euripides had in fact written a version of Antigone in which Haemon saves the day. This version, combined with my own political leanings and experiences of protests, created a very new ending to the story featuring a people’s revolution- but you’ll have to watch the show to find out more!
Lots of people have said I’m ‘bold’ for adapting Antigone this way, but I’m not sure that’s entirely true. Classical literature has been subject to retellings and changes since its very beginning (I’m thinking of Sappho’s Homeric poems, or Vergil’s Aeneid). Antigone: The Musical is simply a successor to a long tradition of adaptation and transformation.
I’ve been so happy with the reactions to it in Edinburgh. I bumped into a group of 17 year-old girls and their teacher who had studied it recently and were very excited when I said I thought Antigone was a girlboss. The group left with a bunch of flyers, still chattering about their memories of studying the play and their opinions on the characters. I honestly don’t mind whether they actually see the show or not- I’m just glad to have prompted a conversation.
Antigone is clearly a story that resonates with many people- a young girl standing up to a tyrannical older man feels like it could have been written the 21st century AD just as much as the 5th century BC.
I’m sure I’ll get a few raised eyebrows for the changes I’ve made and it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s fun, it’s a bit silly and it’s got heart. My hope with bringing this adaptation to Fringe is to reach audiences who might otherwise not want to watch a Greek tragedy, and to show that Classical stories can absolutely be enjoyable and relevant to our lives.
photo credits: Marina McCready
poster credit: Anna Piper-Thompson
