Macbeth

Synopsis

The Scottish Play - theatrical types consider saying its name to be unlucky! Thrust into power by his overwhelming desires and an over ambitious wife, Macbeth finds his only security is to murder and murder again. From "When shall we three meet again" to "is this a dagger I see before me" this is a powerful Shakespearean drama.

Our Review:

12 June 2001

"They should tell us if it's going to be done in modern dress" was the plaintive cry from an American tourist on the way out. Personally speaking, I think it would be better if theatre companies alerted you to the fact that a play is under attack by a director with a vision.

Not that any of us should have anything against directors who want to interpret a play radically, and mine certainly isn't a plea against modern dress. A good director can alert the audience to new aspects in the play and can stress hidden meanings within a play's text that stimulate an audience.

Unfortunately, however, there are some productions that are misbegotten from the outset and Tim Carroll's Macbeth is one of those. This is possibly the worst Shakespeare production in London since Peter O'Toole's assault on the same play.

To be fair, there are difficulties staging this play in the open-air Globe. The natural light makes it hard to convey the requisite air of darkness ...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com - 31 October 2001:

As an American college student, I have been taught to RESPECT a producer's wish to make a play deconstructive. I think many people overlooked the fact that it was deconstructive. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and found the twists that Tim Carroll put in refreshing -- something other than actors parading around the stage in archaic outfits and with archaic attitudes....

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