The curiosly titled Anty-Gone Tryptich Part II - for there is only this one part and so is a stand-alone piece, not to mention the curious spelling of Antigone - is a devised dance and choral piece from one of Poland's leading contemporary theatre makers, The Song Of The Goat Theatre [Teatr Pieśń Kozła] which is based in Wroclaw in the south west of the country.
The piece utilises a chamber choir of 8 voices (4m and 4f), a solo cellist, (Malwina Malawy), and 12 contemporary dancers, and as such is a feast for both oral and visual senses. The piece is based on the legend / myth of Antigone. We are told that Antigone is a delicate and fragile young woman in this reimagining of the story. She belongs to and longs for the old world and seems not able to fit in to contemporary society. However, it really doesn't seem to matter whether one has any knowledge or not about the Greek Antigone, since it appears that this piece is so loosely based on her that it becomes an entirely different entity. Perhaps that is why the name in the title has been written strangely.. Anty-Gone. [anti = opposite of / and the English word 'gone' ??] However overall the piece was a little too abstract for me, lacking a certain amount of focus. Although, on reconsidering, that might well have been deliberate. The aims simply to give 'ideas' or 'vignettes' conveying a sense of a part of the Antigone story.
The advertising to the production states that the dancers' movements invite us "to reflect on the figure of Antigone. Are all the people we see a part of that mythical figure? Perhaps these movements could be the embodiment of the doubts that torment Antigone? In a world where you can be anything, can you be loyal to your beliefs, while thunderous voices sow doubts around you?"
The stage is mostly black and bare. Ideas of columns at the rear give the setting a faint whisp of Greece, whilst the 8 singers and cellist, all dressed in black stand on podia in front of the columns. Their music is wonderful, otherwordly. I enjoyed listening to the music greatly. Very atmospheric and a beautiful fusion between contemporary chords and harmony with a much older feel, Gregorian plainchant almost.
The 12 dancers wore black trunks and bra-style tops. The whole effect being not neutral, but dark and foreboding. Especially when the lighting design - creative, but didn't understand how it fitted into the narrative - was lighting the dancers is steel and blue throughout.
The choreography was centred and precise. Much of it was in unison, sometimes almost balletic, other times it seemed to reflect martial arts. The movements in much smaller groups (1 or 2 dancers) were more meaningful / powerful. The choreography required a lot of strange muscle isolation work and parts of the body being highlighted more than they would be normally. I couldn't really relate to the choreogrpahy sadly. It was impossible to connect the dancing with the story of Antigone in any meaningful way. I didn't enjoy the choreography although it was undoubtedly skilfully danced.
Overall though, this was a very interesting and quite powerful piece of contemporary cross-discipline theatre, and I was extremely thankful that I had the opportunity to watch it. I would certainly be interested in seeing more from Song Of The Goat in future.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 11/5/20
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