Death becomes her

THE first night of York-based Pilot theatre company's The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner and director Marcus Romer asks playwright Roy Williams, "What else is going on in your head – is there something you've always wanted to do?".

There was. "I did say I've always had an inkling to do an adaptation of Antigone," recalls Williams. "I've always had a very strong idea of where and how I could place it, and attempt to make it work for contemporary audiences."

His version, which is touring to Newcastle and York, retells Sophocles' Greek tragedy by setting it on the streets. The mix of ancient and modern has the characters living in ancient Greece in the city of Thebes but the accents, clothes and setting are now.

The story remains the same as Antigone defies king Creon – now the leader of a street gang – and faces death as a result.

"It's the Greek tragedy for me that has the most clear narrative. There's just something about her plight that's very simple, one person against the state. A simple story but says so many things to so many people. I really responded to that. She's so young to say this is how I identify myself as a person," says Williams.

Pilot's artistic director Marcus Romer believes a story with a young female protagonist and divided families, with echoes of Romeo And Juliet, is very much in the vein of the company's work. "In terms of telling stories about young people, their challenges and struggles and relationships with their families and peers, it's absolutely on the nail for the work and the stories Pilot wants to continue telling," he says.

Williams admits the gangster culture that's too often the life of a lot of young people today is a world that he's visited before in plays but the story is the Greek tragedy he's enjoyed since studying it at college. "It's about the experiences a certain group of young people encounter, ie predominantly working class, white and black. It's not exclusively about the gang culture that exists but of that world. The way I've set it the characters, even though they speak very modern in their minds it's ancient Greece."

Romer takes up the theme. "This is not set in a particular postcode or a particular city. This story has been told for two and a half thousand years. Actors have stood on stages around the world in various adaptations and translations helping to share the story. It's a universal story and tells of the big things of life, love and death."

The production is not exclusively for young audiences. As Williams puts it, "It has universal appeal because we've all been there." The young audience may have been dragged along because they're studying the play, but Romer says, "We want to give them something that's good to put a spark and fire in their belly.

"Young people watch so much drama, but less of it in live spaces. What we want to say is that some of the stuff we make in the live space has some intensity, is intriguing and exciting and engaging."

Former EastEnders actor Mark Monero says that Creo (as king Creon has become in Williams' version) runs the streets as the leader of the pack. He sees this modern take as a good way to introduce young audiences to Greek tragedy.

Savannah Gordon-Liburd, who plays Tig (Antigone) echoes that. "It's good for me too because I'm only 25 and would never really have known the story otherwise. They've broken it down and brought it up to date, so I'm able to get a better understanding of the relationships and the wars," she says.

"Tig is loyal, has a big heart and is family orientated. She's rebellious, but has a reason for that. She's not a sheep, she doesn't just follow. She's very strong."

Creo is more absolute, says Monero, and tyrannical in his relationship with Tig. "She goes against his orders and he has to make an example of her, but in different circumstances he would respect her in some ways," he says.

He's appeared in Antigone before, playing one of the soldiers in a production at Unicorn theatre for children. "This production is very different. Marcus gives you quite a lot of freedom to play with characters. He's quite inventive and likes using a bit of technology, like green screen," says Monero.

He most recently toured with the National Theatre in One Man Two Govnors but still gets remembered for his five years as Steve Elliot in the BBC soap EastEnders. Most of it was fun, he says. "It was a good thing to do and taught me a lot of things about myself. I was a little bit rebellious at that age. Doing it was a bit like fast food. You have to be able to stand on your spot, say your lines and not be precious about it."

ANTIGONE

Newcastle Northern Stage, Oct 7-11. Box office 0191-2305151 and online northern stage.co.uk York Theatre Royal, Oct 21-25. Box office 01904-623568 and online yorktheatreroyal.co.uk