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Casting Announced for Sophocles’ Antigone: The Burial at Thebes

Yusra Warsama will play the role of Antigone in our April/May production of Sophocles’ Antigone: The Burial at Thebes.

Today, we announce casting for Sophocles’ Antigone: The Burial at Thebes, directed by the joint Artistic Director of the Manchester Royal Exchange, Roy Alexander Weise (‘Master Harold’…and the boys and Nine Night).

Yusra Warsama will play the role of Antigone. Yusra is known for playing Hanni Youis in The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse and television roles such as Dr Nadia Omar in Castle Rock (Hulu) and Nafula in Our Girl (BBC). Ismene, Antigone’s sister, will be played by Babirye Bukilwa (When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, National Theatre; Cherry Orchard, Nottingham Playhouse; Filthy Business, Hampstead Theatre).

Returning to the Lyric, having last performed here in Roald Dahl’s Twisted Tales, Nick Fletcher will play the role of Creon, Antigone’s uncle and the King of Thebes – his credits include Dead Don’t Floss, The Deep Blue Sea and Treasure Island (National Theatre). Eurydice, the Queen of Thebes, will be played by Ruth Redman (All My Sons, Old Vic; The Glass Menagerie, West End).

The blind oracle, Tiresias will be played by Simon de Deney (theatre includes: The Importance of Being Earnest, National Tour; film includes: Damage, New Line Cinema and Shining Through, 20th Century Fox). Kwong Loke (Pah-La, Royal Court; The Great Wave, National Theatre; Labour of Love, Noel Coward) will play Messenger and Alexander Campbell (BR’ER COTTON, Theatre503; Serpent’s Tooth, Almeida Theatre; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Curve Theatre) will play Guard.

Alongside Roy on the creative team are designer Lily Arnold who was last at the Lyric with A Doll’s House in 2019, lighting designer Amy Mae and sound designer Donato Wharton. Casting by Isabella Odoffin CDG.

The Chorus is made up of five young performers (aged 18-25): Pascale Kann, Jessica Mannion, Ethan Peters, Caleb Rowan and Westerfield Shoderu.

Originally part of Sophocles’ Theban trilogy, the tragedy was translated by Irish Nobel Prize Winner Seamus Heaney, and first performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, 2004.

Find out more about Sophocles’ Antigone: The Burial at Thebes