Antigone by Jean Anouilh
Translated by Barbara Bray
After the deaths of Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polyneices, the new king, Creon, declares that Polyneices must be left unburied - his body exposed to the sun as punishment for treason. Antigone defies the edict. Determined to honour her brother, she chooses burial, knowing full well it will cost her life. In resisting tyranny, she finds a fierce kind of freedom - to act, to speak, and finally, to be herself.
First staged in Paris in 1944, this powerful play was an immediate sensation. Written during Nazi occupation, it became a thinly veiled rallying cry for the French Resistance against the Vichy regime. Today, its themes of liberty, conscience, and resistance feel as urgent as ever - a profound exploration of personal courage versus political compliance.
Sean Bean won the Best Actor award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards 2025 for his performance as Creon.
Prologue-Chorus ..... Jonathan Keeble
Creon ..... Sean Bean
Antigone ..... Rosy McEwen
Ismene ..... Norah Lopez-Holden
Nurse ..... Maureen Beattie
Haemon/Messenger ..... Joseph Ayre
Jonus ..... Owen Whitelaw
Introduction by Professor Emma Smith from Hertford College, Oxford
Production Co-ordinator - Gaelan Davis-Connolly
Sound by Andrew Garratt, and Alison Craig
Adapted, and directed by Pauline Harris
A BBC Studios Audio Production
This marks the first audio production of Antigone in over 40 years - and Sean Bean’s return to audio drama after 25 years. Bean is a BAFTA and International Emmy-winning actor, acclaimed for his performances in Jimmy McGovern’s Time, Broken, and Accused (BBC One). He also starred in Marriage (BBC), described by The Guardian as “Pitch Perfect”.
Rosy McEwen makes her audio drama debut as Antigone. McEwen won Best Lead Performance at the British Independent Film Awards in 2022 for her role in Blue Jean, beating nominees including Sally Hawkins, Florence Pugh and Bill Nighy. Her portrayal was hailed as a “revelation,” “riveting,” and “a powerful, internalised performance.”
