Macbeth (Ambassadors Theatre)

The third production of the National Youth Theatre‘s season at the Ambassadors confirms the talent corralled by artistic director Paul Roseby in this fast, simple Macbeth set in grey drapes, greatcoats, Kaiser Bill helmets, cabaret turns from the witches and even a tolerable version of the "England" scene with Adam Deane’s Malcolm reneging on his own promise of unbridled voluptuousness.

Ed Hughes‘s production is opened by one of the NYT new stars, Grace Chilton, doing a funny Alan Cumming impression as the first witch, cleverly developing this into her own persona as an accordion-toting Porter and the "cream-faced loon" of the battle scenes. She’s the spirit of the play, placing Jeremy Neumark Jones’s Macbeth in the finely judged relief of his own predicament.

There’s nothing showily poetic, or "RSC," about this dogged thane, whose trajectory to the twilight zone of dastardly despair is cleanly charted while Sophie Dyke’s vivacious Lady M in a green dress is left tragically childless on the sidelines. She presides over a banquet in tango rhythm before it’s disrupted by Banquo (Sam Hevicon) in his bloodiest ghostly graveside manner and later does a bit of haunting herself during the "Tomorrow and tomorrow" speech.

The Prussian army uniforms are a good fit for this play, Dominic Grove’s bearded avuncular King Duncan representing a dynastic authority of jackboots and medals that is not unreasonably overturned. The witches discard their glittering ball gowns for outdoor rags as society comes apart at the seams under the barbaric, indiscriminate assault of the new regime.

Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane through the stalls and the spell’s wound up before you can say Scottish referendum; the director’s by-word is speed of action, speed of thought ("…’twere well it were done quickly") and with judicious cutting, and quick-fire ensemble work, the curtain’s down after just two hours including interval.

The NYT Rep Company's Season featuring Selfie, Private Peaceful and Macbeth runs between 17 September and 28 November at The Ambassadors Theatre.

For more from the National Youth Theatre and to book tickets head over to the NYT page.