Independent spirits

Tragicomedy is a tough act to pull off for even the most experienced performers.

So the fact that this slice of Sophocles relocated to the Cornish coast makes for such a rewarding spectacle is a major credit to the National Youth Theatre.

Writer Nick Darke is deeply committed to the cause of Cornwall and his inventive spin on this universal Greek tragedy is an impassioned cry for his beloved county, a land mercilessly exploited by the infidel English. Such subject matter could easily make for chest-beating agitprop. But the political point-making is leavened by a satirical humour that makes the message, the fight for independence, all the more effective.

The strength of director Mike Shepherd's production lies in the energy that fizzes off the stage in a play that could be a blueprint for the NYT's ensemble style. Shepherd marshalls his forces with buoyant vigour and the cast respond in kind, switching from pompous politicians to cartoon archaeologists without missing a beat.

But it's the humour that hits home hardest. For while the central story of ill-fated freedom fighter Gonnieta seems a touch time-locked, the contemporary edge is sharpened by comedy characters, including a hilarious chorus of second homeowners' wives, who are painfully recognisable to a modern audience.

Mike Davis's low-life chancer turned King of Kernow (that's Cornwall in Cornish) makes the most of the best lines, with showstopper song Born And Raised In A Bungalow a needle-sharp put-down of planning philistines intent on wrecking our heritage. Now that's real tragedy.

Antigone At Hell's Mouth