Antigone Exits: A tough watch, but a powerful and thought-provoking Greek tragedy closes Chichester's Festival 2026
Ancient and contemporary trauma is laid bare by an excellent cast in Nina Segal’s clever reimagining of this 2,500-year-old tale
‘How unnecessary is all this death?’
So ponders Ismene at the climax of Antigone Exits, a powerful but very tough watch to bring the curtain down on Festival 2026 in Chichester. It certainly pulls no punches by literally handing the mic to tragedy in this Greek drama.
But whatever the answer to the question, the conclusion from Nina Segal’s clever reimagining of the tale is that despite the 2,500 years of intervening history mankind fails to learn its lessons, tragedy continues on a personal and global scale and yet life keeps rolling on.
This world premiere of Antigone Exits comes at a time when Greek drama is in vogue with Christopher Nolan’s $250m-budget, three-hour epic The Odyssey smashing box office records with its all-action, all-star cast shot entirely in IMAX in locations across the world.
The showing of Antigone Exits could not be further opposed. As you enter the Minerva Theatre stage the cast of seven is already waiting for you, perched precariously under very bright lights on what looks to be the inside quarter of a tennis ball. The stage is bright orange with nothing more than three boulders and two cans of oil (which play a very visual part in the dramatic climax). And the show runs for a little over an hour.
The story revolves around the death of Antigone’s brother in a bloody civil war and the decree of her uncle - king Creon - forbidding anyone to bury his body because he was considered a traitor. It wrestles with many modern-day themes, from the power of the state against the will of the people, the complexities of making the right choices despite the dire consequences and whether being rational or performing a u-turn on a decision is a weakness or strength.
Segal’s retelling, under the direction of Jeff James, mixes the ancient Greek myth with contemporary tragedy. At points the actors break off from the storyline, grab the mic which dangles centrestage from the ceiling to share the grim realities of babies dying in Gazan hospitals and the sad case of on-the-run Constance Marten and the death of her new-born along with personal tales of childhood encounters with death, the loss of a father figure and suicide. As if the play isn’t dark enough.
But you can’t fault the whole cast who all excel in their roles and their compelling story-telling - Nina Cassells as Antigone, Max Bennett as the tortured King Creon, Testimony Adegbite as Messenger, Brandon Bassir as Haemon, Anushka Chakravarti as Ismene, Melody Chikakane Brown as Tiresias and Lizzy Watts as Eurydice.
Coming away from the Minerva it was odd to think that the uplifting, bonkers zaniness of A Midsummer Night's Dream is playing just across the concourse in the main theatre. There are not many laughs to be had at the Minerva. Just a lot of deep themes to wrestle with.
But if you go prepared for what can be an uncomfortable viewing there is no mistaking that Antigone Exits is a thought-provoking and bold staging of a powerful tale with a brilliant cast.
Antigone Exits runs until Saturday October 17. For tickets and more information go to the CFT website