International Festival coordinator and producer-Eleni Price, Creative Director – Alison Shan Price MBE, Arabic script – Yousef Nayef, Bassam al Othman, Diana Sfeir

ANTIGONE: AN ARABIAN TRAGEDY completed its international run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on 15th August 2015 after a week at Greenside Venues Nicholson Square, Edinburgh. It ‘fascinated’ audience members and received a 4-star review from premiere online reviewer Broadway Baby.

Spanning 2000 years, the production revolved around how the story of Antigone is universally repeated throughout the ages to the same climatic result. For ‘when your name is Antigone, there is only one part you can play, and she must play hers through to the end.’

The production was bilingual English/Arabic and starred Diana Sfeir as the modern Arabian Antigone with Eleni Rebecca as her shadowy celtic counterpart. Both actresses were accompanied by Hamad Al Jenaie and Brian McLaughlin as Creon, Yousef Al Nasser and Ali Naser as Haemon, Frank Cannizzo as Cpt. Jonas and Nour Bizri as Ismene.

Directed by One World CEO Alison Shan Price MBE, It was featured as one of AlWaleed Centre ‘Top Picks’ of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival due to its representation of Arabian Culture and is currently long-listed of the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award 2015.

 

   

ANTIGONE                    Diana Sfeir (Lebanese) & Eleni Rebecca (British)

CREON                             Hamad Al Jenaie (Kuwaiti) & Brian McLaughlin (Australian)

HAEMON                        Ali Al Naser (Kuwaiti) & Yousef Al Nasser (Kuwaiti)

ISMENE                           Nour Bizri (Syrian)

CPT. JONAS                   Frank Cannizzo (American)  

MEDIA                              Michael Coppard (British) & Clare Christian (British)

VOICE OF POET          Bassam Al Othman (Kuwaiti)

DIRECTOR                    Alison Shan Price (British)

STAGE MANAGER      Simon Abi Faisal (Greek)

TRANSLATOR              Yousef M. Nayef

OUR GRACIOUS THANKS

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors for allowing ANTIGONE: An Arabian Tragedy to experience The Edinburgh Fringe. We would like to thank:

OUR OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Alghanim Industries (Platinum Sponsor)                   Crowne Plaza Kuwait (Silver Sponsor)

Shakir Abal & DAI Cultural Centre Kuwait                 Bayt Lothan Cultural Centre Kuwait

Scientific Centre Kuwait (TSCK)                                    Hooda Shawa of TAQA Productions

Adam Darius & Kazimir Kolesnik

FRIENDS OF ONE WORLD ACTORS CENTRE

Frank Cannizzo & Family                                                 Nader Abdullah

Ian Harbour                                                                         Njoud Al Yagout

Nour Bizri & Family                                                           Dr. Joyce Mordecai

Souha & Family

THE NATIONAL TOUR

        

ANTIGONE is a year-long project that began with translating Jean Anouilh’s Antigone into Arabic under the commission of the Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah Kuwait. The production was performed in English at Bayan Bilingual School in February 2015 and again at the DAI Amricani Cultural Centre in April, accompanied by the original Arabic version (translated by international playwright Hooda Sharwa of TAQA Productions and Kuwaiti Poet Yousef Al Nayef.)  Both versions were received with great success throughout Kuwait.

CONCEPTION

     

In March 2015, OWAC was privileged to host Emmy Award-winning Mime Artist Adam Darius and international choreographer Kazimir Kolesnik in Kuwait for a third time. It was during his Intensive Master Classes at the DAI Yarmouk that the concept of combining both the English and Arabic versions really came to fruition, with both the English Antigone (Eleni Rebecca) and Arabic Antigone (Diana Sfeir) simultaneously workshopping their parts. The combination of both languages created a lyrical performance unlike anything seen at the Centre before. Out of this discovery, rehearsals created a lyrical production that uses language and culture to portray a story of defiance and beauty that has spanned generations.