Antigone, Interrupted

Perth Theatre, February 14 and 15

The origins of this new solo dance piece from Scottish Dance Theatre artistic director and choreographer Joan Clevillé stem from a decade ago, when he and French performer Solène Weinachter were both dancers with the company.

Now that Clevillé is in charge of the company, Weinachter has been invited back to help create this piece as a guest artist.

“Antigone, Interrupted takes the Greek tragedy of Antigone as a starting point,” says Clevillé, “but it looks at it from a contemporary perspective, through storytelling and dance theatre.

“Solène plays different characters who tell us the story of a young woman named Antigone, a teenager who rebels against her king – who is also her uncle – because she thinks the law he has passed is unfair. She’s putting herself on the line to defend what she thinks is right.”

In Sophocles’ original tale, Antigone decides to bury her brother Polynices, who died while warring against her other brother Eteocles, despite her monarch Creon’s decree that he be left to rot in shame. In contrast to her compliant sister Ismene, Antigone is portrayed as bold and forthright, even though her position as a defiant woman puts her in peril.

“We’re living in interesting times,” says Clevillé of his desire to revisit this particular story. “We can see all over the world that we’re questioning how we live together, and whether the rules we have are the best rules.

“Greta Thunberg is an example of what an icon a young woman can be – and how she can mobilise people.

“I’m curious about this idea of breaking the rules, and whether that can be directed towards something positive, towards getting closer to understanding one another, even if we agree to disagree.”

The piece is performed in the round, and expressed only through the movement and voice of Weinachter, with a soundtrack from Perthshire composer Luke Sutherland and dramaturgy from Ella Hickson.

“Luke built the soundtrack by recording sounds which Solène made with her voice or body or hair,” says Clevillé. “At one point he recorded her heartbeat, then he stretches and slices it, and the most amazing sounds appear.

“All the rest is down to Solène’s talent, and how she changes her physicality, even when she plays the older, male king.”

What does Clevillé want his audience to take from the show? “I would like them to feel that in everybody there is the power to change something,” he says, “and to realise that we can make those changes really powerful.”

Antigone, Interrupted can also be seen at Dundee Rep Theatre on May 13 and the Macrobert Art Centre in Stirling on May 14.

Dancer Solène Weinachter has helped to create the piece.