Anti-Gone was reviewed when the show was presented in English and its final performance will run in Mandarin Chinese. Loosely based around Antigone but set in a post-Cultural Revolution China, there are a mix of styles used in the show, including elements of surrealism, absurdism and shadow theatre.
The show opens with a funeral display – the set is effective and gives us a good indication of place. We see a man who is clearly a ghost enter and performs some of Hamlet’s soliloquy – it is a strong, interesting opening, intriguing us. The remainder of the family appear throughout; there is a great of voiceover, and we discover the resentment of the family to the dead brother (now both brothers are dead). There is a reveal of an incident which impacted one sister her whole life. From there it gets somewhat confusing. One of the children of the dead man dreams of being royalty and there are more ghosts and puppetry. One of the sisters can see all the ghosts and the people from the child’s dream.
Because of the changing styles and different focuses, the storyline becomes muddled, and it gets quite chaotic at times in trying to work out what is the present time within the show and what is the dream time. While the dream is explored using surrealism, what is not clear is the relevance of the young child being royal in the dream. It may have helped to give context for the audience in an information sheet or guidance. There are varying skill levels on stage, which means that choices are not always clear. There are interesting ideas within the piece, but it feels like further development could help add to clarity to help the storyline be clearer.
Show Time: 15 August @ 11:30 (Saturday show in Mandarin Chinese)
Running Time: 50mins
Ticket Prices: £15-£18
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/anti-gone
Accessible entry: Through wheelchair access entrance, and up through first lift audience will come to, and along corridor. Lift dimensions: Doorway: 660mm x 1980mm Internal Dimensions: 920mm x 770mm Capacity: 410kg (6 people). Wheelchair access type: Level Access, Lift (Building Lift). Stairs: None. Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above. Wheelchair Access, Wheelchair Accessible Toilets, Audio Enhancement System. May not apply to all performances.
Warnings: Strong language/swearing, contains distressing or potentially triggering themes including mentions of sexual violence and child abuse, performance on Saturday in Mandarin Chinese, Additional information: Wednesday to Friday: performance in English; Saturday: performance in Mandarin Chinese. Age suitability: 16+ (guideline). Babes in arms policy: Babies are required to have a complimentary ticket. Policy applies to: Children under 2 years.