Too Late! (Antigone) Contest #2

It is pieces like this that further demonstrate the sheer scale of what it is that makes up modern theatre. There is no getting around the fact that Too Late! (Antigone) Contest #2 is a challenging, confronting, difficult and perhaps alienating piece, and one that will not be to everyone’s tastes.

Firstly, there’s the complicated source material, with this play being a modernised rendition of Bertolt Brecht’s Antigone, which itself was based on the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone by Sophocles. Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus, is sentenced to death due to her defiance of a law that states she must not bury her brother, who died a traitor. Like a lot of Greek tragedies, everybody dies in the end.

Secondly, rather than following a recognisable narrative path, Too Late! (Antigone) Contest #2 is a series of scenes based on some of the ideas presented in the original works, that are then interspersed with musings on Europe’s – and in particular Italy’s – current political state.

There is a lot to think about, and to look at, if you can fully grasp all the references that are packed into the relatively short 55 minutes.

Dealing in themes of rebellion, individuals against authority, the dynamics of power and resistance and war, the two performers express this early in the piece by taking on the form of barking dogs. This opening scene forecasts that nothing about this will be conventional, as both Silvia Calderoni and Vladimir Aleksić prowl across the floor on all fours, growling and barking at each other with genuine menace. The pair carry half the crowd with them with their portrayal, while the other half seem bemused and wonder how it fits in the overall picture.

There is also a self-awareness that is either engaging or off-putting depending on your tastes, with Aleksić at one point drawing attention to the screen displaying the English supertitles and a comedic reference to contemporary theatre.

While I am not sure I enjoyed Antigone, I did find many parts of it interesting. The two actors were compelling – especially the androgynous Calderoni, who put in a fearless and physical performance in her varied roles of Silvia/Antigone/Haemon, throwing herself quite literally into the scene. And while at times the audience may have become be quite disconnected to the text, the performances were enough to draw you back in.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Brisbane Powerhouse and Motus present
Too Late! (Antigone) Contest #2
Devised and directed by: Enrico Casagrande, Daniela Nicolò
Cast: Silvia Calderoni, Vladimir Aleksić

Part of the World Theatre Festival 2012
Brisbane Powerhouse
16–19 February 2012