Antigone - Greek Play By Motley Group Production

Nothing like a dash of fiction and history - and Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah and Benjamin Gilani - to glamourize the dreaded T-word: it's time for some Greek tragedy now.

As part of the annual Qadir Ali Baig Theatre Festival from 29th October to 10th November, the penultimate day of the festival will feature Jean Anouilh's Greek Tragedy play "Antigone" by Motley Group Production, at the Shilpakala Vedika auditorium.

The production has been adapted and directed by Satyadev Dubey, and the cast includes Benjamin Gilani, Akash Khurana, Ratna Pathak Shah, Naseeruddin Shah, Nivedita Bhattacharya, Divya Jagdale, Heeba Shah and Trishla Patel.

Anouilh's Antigone is an adaptation of Sophocles' tragic play of the same title. Written in 1942, the time when Nazi forces occupied France, the story revolves around the conflict between the idealist Antigone and her rigid uncle, Creon, the King. The play can be interpreted to represent the struggle of the French Resistance movement against the Vichy government's forces, during the height of Nazi occupation.

Oedipus's daughter Antigone, after her father's death and subsequent war between her 2 brothers, defies her uncle Creon, a King. Creon has issued an edict that Polynices, one of her dead brothers, is to be left to rot. Antigone tries to bury Polynices, but is arrested. This results in series of discussions and deaths, as the characters try to deal with life, death, happiness, love, honor & duty.

The festival is a tribute to the Hindustani theatre personality, the late Qadir Ali Baig. It forms a part of the Foundation's initiative to revive theatre in town, and was designed by Mohammad Ali Baig, son of Qadir Ali Baig.

Entry is by tickets of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 500 & Rs. 100 per head for each play, available at A A Hussain (Abids), Music World (Rd. 1 B'Hills), Walden (Begumpet), Ofen (Rd. 10 B'Hills), Sangeet Sagar (Paradise Circle), Shoe World (Pathargatti). Please contact theatrefoundation[at]cineworksindia[dot]com.