Jim Coupland's adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy, produced by Authentik Theatre, as a tense exploration of power, grief and political collapse.
Authentik Theatre bring Antigone to the Swindon Arts Centre on Saturday 21 November, a new adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy by Jim Coupland. It's a story most of us know in outline — the clash between a young woman and a king over the right to bury the dead — but Coupland has reimagined it as a tense, psychologically charged exploration of power, grief and political collapse.
The play follows Creon, the new leader of Thebes, as the city tries to recover from a bitter war. Antigone defies him to honour her brother's death, and in doing so provokes the anger of the gods. From there, the production looks at how authority can harden into obsession and how moral certainty can lead to destruction, tracing the devastating consequences of leadership under pressure, where the need for control threatens both family and state. It's described as urgent and deeply human, bringing a contemporary resonance to one of theatre's most enduring tragedies.
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It's a production that works for a wide range of audiences: it's suitable for adults (18+), young people (13+) and couples, and it's listed as accessible. The performance runs from 19:30 to 22:15 at the Swindon Arts Centre on Devizes Road, SN1 4BJ, and it's a paid show.
