MACBETH: Shakespeare, Derby Playhouse till 22 October

Derby

MACBETH: William Shakespeare
Derby Playhouse: Tkts 01332 363275 www.derbyplayhouse.co.uk
Runs: 2h 20m: one interval: till 27th Oct
Performance times: 7.30pm every eve [except Sun], 2.30pm matinees 1st, 5th, 8th and 15th .
Audio Described 15th matinee and 19th evening, Sign Interpreted 15th matinee and 20th evening, Backchat 20th.
Review: Alan Geary: 29 September 2005

An elemental, gimmick-free and very Celtic production of the Scottish play; it works magnificently.
Arguably, presenting a gimmick-free production of Shakespeare counts as a gimmick these days; but this is what director Karen Louise Hebden does with this in-house Scottish play.

There are no dust-carts, no cheap topical allusions, no Bush-bashing, no gratuitous back projections, no nothing - except an honest to goodness interpretation of a great play

It works magnificently.

The setting is more or less 11th century, the protagonists mostly wear authentic-looking tartans - not the bogus Victorian sort - and everyone except Lennox, Lady Macbeth and the Witches has a Scottish accent.

Lennox [Carl Ferguson], presumably unintentionally, sounds suspiciously English; Aoife McMahon, do doubt doing what comes naturally, gives Lady Macbeth an Irish ring; the Witches are decidedly bog Irish.

The set, which looks as if it's been blasted out of a barren cliff-face, and the continual winds, contribute to the impression that we're in a far-flung and very Celtic corner of this island.

This elemental quality is emphasised by the Witches; with costumes the same hue as the background, they appear and disappear as if they're part of the landscape. They also bring with them a touch of crazed sexuality.

Mc Mahon's Lady Macbeth is excellent, particularly at the start, when an invitingly low-cut gown, red lips and luxuriant red hair make her look like a film-noir vixen, and near the end in the sleep-walking scene. The psychological disintegration is beautifully done.

Likewise Macbeth. Brian Potheroe is mature for the part but that's no bad thing. Even before Duncan's murder he's terrified about what he's doing; he's weak, and he's dominated by his wife. In the hallucination scenes he's utterly convincing.

Protheroe subtly makes it clear that he suspects that he's suspected of foul play, notably by Macduff, played by Glenn Carter, and in return Carter equally makes it clear that Macduff suspects.

Carter is seriously versatile: only the other day he appeared, with the same haircut, on the same stage leading in a Sondheim musical. Here he reacts to the murder of his family with an admirable mixture of grief and vengeful fury.

The only relief from the bleak discomfort in the play comes in the domestic scene with Lady Macduff and her children [well done by two un-mawkish young actors], cruelly terminated by some horrific throat-cutting.

There have been a lot of productions of the Scottish play about lately but this must be one of the best.

Cast
Macduff: Glenn Carter
Seyton: Alistair Cording
Malcolm/Murderer: Iain Davey
Lennox: Carl Ferguson
Banquo: Stephen Finegold
Duncan/Old Siward: Kenneth Gilbert
Angus/Murderer: Michael Kirk
Lady Macbeth: Aoife Mc Mahon
Macbeth: Brian Protheroe
Ross/Porter: Craig Purnell
Second Witch/Lady Macduff: Liz Schwarz
Third Witch/Gentlewoman: Bethany Sheldon
First Witch/Doctor/Murderer: Genevieve Walsh

Blue Team
Daughter of Macduff: Abby Jade Sherriff
Son of Macduff/Boy: Jordan Michael Keen
Fleance: Jasper Hardcastle
Donalbain/Young Siward: Jake David Keen

Red Team
Daughter of Macduff: Hope Yeomans
Son of Macduff/Boy: Joe Daunt
Fleance: Geoffrey Mullen
Donalbain/Young Siward: Oliver James Tunstall

Director: Karen Louise Hebden
Set Designer: Rose Alabaster
Lighting Designer: Philip Gladwell
Costume Designer: Emma Waugh
Sound Designer: Matt McKenzie
Musical Director: Martin Allen
Fight Director: Alison De Burgh

2005-09-30 09:51:33