Macbeth –The Peoples Theatre

Theatre Review – David Oliver

Macbeth – William Shakespeare - The Peoples Theatre (4^th – 8^th March 2014)

Dir: Brian Green, Sue Hinton, And The Cast

Okay, so last night, I had a taste of Shakespeare, in what can only be described as one of those shows you need to see in your lifetime. This dark, twisted take of Murder and Power hungry scandal, was just the thing that I could sing my teeth into.

Upon first walking into the auditorium, the scene was set almost instantly, with an intriguing array of set design and lighting. This immediately set the bar rather high in my mind and I did not want the show to disappoint. What I then got was something more.  Something much, much more. This production seems to have everything.  Amazing Lighting and Special Effects, Great sound, and a carefully constructed set, with costumes and design being really thought out.

At this point I would like to offer huge praise to Tom Saunders, with Dave Bailey and Karen Dales, for their Spectacular Lighting Design. Offering a wide array of lighting states that never seized to drop my jaw.

Add to this The Haunting and memorable performances from Jonny Lavelle, as well as a phenomenal cast and crew as always, some of whom I have worked with before at The peoples on “Never So Good”, “Guys and Dolls” and “The Pillowman”, you get an Intensely Dark and Twisted production as Shakespeare intended. With every aspect of this production doing immense justice to these historic works, you would be fooled to think it was nothing short of genius.

Then came my one and only confusion within the play. The fight scenes.  It seems that there was something missing, or indeed thereof a slight lack of coordination within these scenes.  At the close nipped view from the auditorium to the stage, it’s the finer details that count. In this case it was simply the realism of the fight scenes. This was however the only floor that I managed to find in this production.

The rollercoaster of Emotions, Fear and occasionally Awe that I felt during this performance, left me leaving with my brain trying to process the sheer notion of what had just happened. As ever, The Peoples have excelled themselves with their latest production, and as ever, the Quality of work and craftsmanship shines through. As well as the Passion and Talent of all involved. It was my first time watching at the peoples as an audience member, and not as part of the crew, or Lighting, and I really rather hope that it will not be my last!

‘All the world's a stage, 
And all the men and women merely players;
 They have their exits and their entrances, 
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.’

See you Soon!

Macbeth - Review - Peoples Theatre

Macbeth

The Peoples Theatre

4th March 2014

The stage is set - stark, industrial, understated and perfect. The only colour coming from the streak of blue sky behind the castle ramparts, a sign of hope at the beginning of this dark play. (It won't last long, keep an eye on the sky as the play progresses). Faint haze and low music add to the atmosphere. Tension from the start. And then a sudden blinding flash of lightning, an earsplitting crash of thunder and an army is charging towards the audience, pikes and swords raised, a battle cry roars and so it begins.

There is so much that could be said about this production - from the costumes, (military khakis, bowns and greys, of the soldiers, the black and red garb of the truly maniacal witches, and the starkly contrasting bright colours of MacDuff's wife and children), to the lighting and music, haunting, rousing, the sung incantations of the weird sisters, reminding me of sung cantata's from my church choir days, eerily interspersed with whispered lines from the key speeches as scenes changed. It is utterly gripping. And this before I start on the characters!

This play has a large cast - even allowing for those actors who doubled up and they all acted their hearts out. The witches Sara Harrison Dowd, Penny Lamport and Anne Cater, are brilliantly and scarily weird, with their wild hair and makeup, singing their incantations and staring mutely when directly questioned. Sara Scott as Lady Macbeth nails the ambitious, driven wife, pushing her husband on against his better nature, and then realising too late the cost. The "damned spot" speech is almost torturous to watch. Craig Fairbairn plays Banquo beautifully, showing a loving father and loyal friend, more puzzled than suspicious of Macbeth as his lord begins the descent into tyranny.
The star is undoubtedly Jonny Lavelle as Macbeth. His portrayal of the ambitious tortured man, set on a path of destruction that once started he is unable to stop, is gripping. His delivery in each scene was virtually flawless, as his character see-saws through every emotion, naked ambition, determination and doubt, remorse and resolve and finally madness. You will believe he sees his murdered friend seated on that empty stool.

One final mention for Ricky Shah - who I saw recently in a very different role in Charley's Aunt, - who plays 3 parts here, but in particular the darkly humourous Porter,  who's grim humour does little to ease the tension, if anything it increases it, as the audience are all too aware of the horror that is about to be revealed once he answers the knocking at the gate.

I don't often give a score and even more rarely give a 5 out of 5 but this production gets one! I mentioned the tension? At the end of the play I found I had been so tense while watching it I actually ached!
Brilliant.

Macbeth runs till Saturday 8th March. Go and see it!

Denise Sparrowhawk