With a few more performances left for the curtain call of Antigone, I met Lena Bozaki to talk to me about the show and how much it has changed her this summer, the charm of Sophocles' speech and how topical it is and finally about this eternal conflict between emotion and law.

How creative has this summer been for you?

- It was indeed a very beautiful and creative summer this summer which is slowly coming to a close now with the performances of Antigone. Working with all the cast and crew who created the show together has been an unexpectedly beautiful surprise and experience. And I say surprise because I wasn't in the cast from the beginning, I joined during rehearsals and while the show was already being created and the cast was getting to know each other. Of course I had no difficulty at all in integrating since we are talking about an amazing team made up of truly exceptional people that I now adore. Creativity is not something "magical", but a process that is born when certain internal and external conditions come together to feel safe to express oneself genuinely, uncritically, with a tolerance for uncertainty and error, and this group created that climate both on and off stage.

Having performed so many shows, what was it about Sophocles' speech that fascinated you and what phrase represents you?

- Antigone, in my personal opinion, is the greatest of the tragedies written. I consider it a work for today, especially at a time when war is raging so close to us. The voice of a woman, expressing empathy and humanity, is juxtaposed with the intransigence of a man in a position of power; a conflict we seem to be living through even today. I often ask myself: if women ruled, would all this be happening? I think not. What is fascinating about Sophocles' speech is precisely the power with which it bridges centuries. With simplicity and poetry, with musicality and rhythm, the poet expresses universal human conflicts, such as the battle between human and divine law, duty and emotion, power and conscience. His language has a tragic intensity and lyricism, while his imagery and contrasts give it grandeur and timelessness. Thus, it is difficult to pick out just one phrase that captivates, for each verse of Antigone seems to speak directly to us today with the same power as it did two and a half thousand years ago. Finally, I should mention that an important role in our trial version of the play was played by the wonderful translation done by Panagiota Pantazi, who keeps a great balance between poetic language and simplicity that makes it direct and contemporary for the viewer.

Did you face any difficulties since you are in the Chorus but you are also performing Eurydice?

- Dance requires collectivity, rhythm and group expression, whereas Eurydice is an individual role with personal drama and interiority. I would say that this challenge helped me understand the play better, as I experienced both the collective perspective and the personal passion. Thus, the difficulty eventually became a richness for my interpretation.

What is your perspective on this eternal conflict?

- My perspective is that the conflict between human law and the unwritten, moral law of consciousness never has a definitive solution. In Antigone we see how both sides have a grain of truth: Creon wants order and stability, while Antigone defends respect and love for her dead brother. Personally, I am fascinated by Antigone's attitude because she puts people above the law and shows how without empathy, power becomes cruel and unjust. However, I believe that the truth lies somewhere in the middle: a society needs both laws and humanity in order to stand.

Did you go to the trouble of bringing the heroes into the present day and interpreting them?

- Yes, I was tempted to see them in the present, because their conflicts are timeless. Antigone, Creon, Ismene, Haemon, Eurydice are not just figures of ancient drama; they are voices that could exist today, in political, social or personal conflicts.

Is there a conflict of law and justice in the play?

-Yes, there is. Antigone expresses unwritten, moral and divine law, while Creon defends human law and state order. It is this conflict that creates the tragedy of the play.

Are the opinions heard possessed of an absoluteness?

- Yes, the opinions are presented with absoluteness. Antigone does not negotiate her decision, and Creon stubbornly sticks to his own stance. This intransigence on both sides ultimately leads to disaster. It is Chorus who makes the move, starting out by being in favor of Creon, but later doubting whether what he says is the right thing to do.