The Burial at Thebes
a version of Sophocles' play
by Seamus Heaney

Deborah Mailman... is a splendid Antigone: unwavering, spirited and principled"
The Sydney Morning Herald

"Chris Kohn's production is beautifully set... [his] multiracial casting and setting, remind us why, after 2500 years, this play still resonates." The Australian

Seamus Heaney

Chris Kohn

Paul Blackwell, Katie Fitchett, Gillian Jones, Deborah Mailman, Pacharo Mzembe, Boris Radmilovich, James Saunders and Hazem Shammas

Tickets are also available as part of a 2008 Season Ticket

I was made to love, not hate.

In the quiet dawn after the end of the latest war, one of the last surviving daughters of the ruling household slips away to bury her traitor brother. By the end of the day, her simple act of love will have brought the state to its knees.

Sophocles’ magnificent tragedy cuts to the core of one of the conundrums of the twenty first century: how to balance the heart of the individual with the ever-shifting demands of the state. This burning verbal battle between Antigone and her uncle the ruler Creon, unfolds with fierce dramatic logic and terrifying precision. As the action carves its way onwards, Sophocles lays bare the full splendour and folly of the species. And along Creon’s well-intentioned path to catastrophe we get a truly brilliant portrait of flawed leadership.

The superb Deb Mailman returns to Belvoir St to tackle one of the great roles of the canon. Melbourne director Chris Kohn enchanted audiences Downstairs in both 2005 and 2007 and we welcome him back for his upstairs debut. He promises a contemporary, deeply moving production of Sophocles’ great play about what happens when love gets fed up with fear.

This is an ancient play about here and now.

Please Note

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (no interval)