Macbeth
MATTHEW Dunster’s brilliantly bold direction cuts straight to the dark heart of this Shakespeare classic, then flings it, bloody and still beating, at the enthralled, appalled audience.
Although this is a spooky and profoundly disturbing production, Dunster has eschewed the witchcraft that often sits so uneasily with contemporary audiences, instead making the ‘weird sisters’ young girls brutalised by war.
Elsewhere, extensive but sensible cuts have been made in the text, so that the play positively speeds by.
War and brutality
It’s set in a world of war and brutality. As it opens, although helicopters buzz overhead and bombs go off in the distance, three young sisters (Rebecca Callard, Niamh Quinn and, on press night, Shannon Flynn) are innocently watching television.
Abruptly, this turns into a terrifying scene of scene of death, horror and rape, setting the tone for a production that boasts some extraordinary and brilliant moments.
Not everything works, to be honest – the way Macbeth (Nicholas Gleaves) turns so rapidly from faithful, football-playing warrior to bloody despot, or the abrupt disappearance of the coke-sniffing Lady Macbeth (Hilary Maclean) weren’t completely satisfying, I felt.
But, overall, this is a darkly stunning production. with a brilliantly conceived, completely surprising ending.
Splendidly feral
The weird sisters are splendidly feral and increasingly malevolent as the world itself goes mad, and there are some wonderfully powerful performances, including Christopher Colquhoun as Banquo and Jason Done as Macduff.
But ultimately, this is a production that is memorable for its terrifying violence, the brilliance of its effects, its bloody intensity and the sheer passion that shines through its darkness.
Macbeth is at The Royal Exchange until Saturday, April 11. Call 0161 833 9833.
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