Antigone

Summary

BBC production of Anouilh’s Antigone in English translation.

Theatre play

Antigone by Jean Anouilh (1910-1987) [more information]

Play synopsis

Anouilh updates Sophocles’ tragedy to occupied France, using the Greek characters to represent the contemporary power struggle.

Production history

First performed in Paris on 6 February 1944. The London premiere was at the New Theatre on 10 February 1949, with Laurence Olivier producing and taking the role of Chorus.

Date of transmission

Tuesday 27 October 1959

Time

8.45-10.00pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Director

Michael Elliott

Playwright

Jean Anouilh (1910-1987)

Translator

Lewis Galantière

Designer

Frederick Knapman

Cast

Rosalind Atkinson	Nurse
Edwin Brown	Third Guard
Peter Hempson	Page
Richard Klee	Second Guard
Sam Kydd	First Guard
Enid Lorimer	Eurydice
James Maxwell	Messenger
David McCallum	Haemon
Basil Sydney	Creon
Dorothy Tutin	Antigone
Noel Willman	Chorus
Jennifer Wilson	Ismene

Additional details

Play tags

French drama; Greek drama; Greek myth; tragedy

Audiovisual sources

Title

Antigone (BBC, 1959)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

A Brilliant Antigone (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Guardian, 28 October 1959, p. 7

Title

A Harrowing Experience: Intense Flavour of Antigone (Newspaper review)

Reference

The Times, 28 October 1959, p. 4

Title

Broadcasting in the 1950s, 20-22 July 2011: conference report (Blog article)

Author/creator

Amanda Wrigley (Author)

Reference

http://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/broadcasting-in-the-1950s-conference, published 5 August 2011

Title

Radio Times, 23 October 1959 (Magazine)

Linking notes

illustrated listing, p. 17; article with photograph, p. 7; cover image of Dorothy Tutin