MACBETH

 

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

 Directed by Jordan Best. Fight choreographer Annie Holland. Choreographer. Jodi Hammond Costume construction Gaia La Penna. Jig sound designer. Patrick Haesler. Production /Stage manager. Sophia Barrett. Cast Isaac Reilly, Lainie Hart, Caitlin Baker, Lachlan Ruffy, Max Gambale, Paaul Sweeney, Annabelle Hansen, Paris Sharkie, Jane Ahlquist, Sterling Notley, Kirana De Schutter,  Ensemble: Isaiah Prichard, William Best, Joshua James.  Aunty Louise Brown Lawns at The Q. Lakespeare and The Q. Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre February 13^th At various sites. Bookings and information: www.lakespeare.com

Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

 

Lakespeare has joined forces with The Q Theatre to produce its first tragedy in the open air. In the past Lakespeare has gained an enviable and well-earned reputation as a popular presenter of Shakespeare’s comedies and history plays for audiences at its open air festivals at various Canberra venues from Glebe Park to the amphitheatre at the ANU and the Patrick White Lawns at the National Library. This year Lakespeare in association with The Q Theatre and under the inventive direction of Jordan Best has decided to take the bold step to present Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth. It is a bold and risky move. Shakespeare’s tale of a noble warrior’s fall because of  his fatal flaw of  “vaulting ambition which o’erleaps itself and falls on ‘tother” is a gruesome tale of ironic prophesy, bloody regicide and violent murder. Director Best understands the power of storytelling and at the Aunty Louise Brown Park adjacent to Queanbeyan’s Q Theatre, the audience on the grass and in chairs at the back sat transfixed as three ethereally costumed witches (Caitlin Baker, Annabelle Hansen and Paris Sharkie)lead Macbeth (Isaac Reilly) along a predestined  path to retribution at the sword of noble Macduff (Paul Sweeney ).

Isaac Reilly )Macbeth) Paul Sweeney (Macduff)

The success of an open-air production relies on the ability of a company to tell the story. Macbeth is Shakespeare at his most economical. His Elizabethan audience for the most part were superstitious and believed in ghosts and portents. There is no subplot of note to distract or confuse and Best’s actors have understood the power of the telling by speaking the speech trippingly on the tongue and clearly suiting the action to the word and the word to the action. It is all done to entice an audience. They needed no better gauge of success than the spontaneous applause of their audience as Macduff exacted his just revenge. 

It would be easy to dismiss Macbeth as a propagandist thriller to please England’s Queen Elizabeth and assure favour. Shakespeare is too clever and great a writer to deny the significance of tragedy on the human condition. Macbeth is a noble brave and highly respected soldier of honour who, because of a fatal flaw allows himself to be persuaded by the ambitious and loving Lady Macbeth.  In Best’s production motive and action are clear enough, and delivered by an enthusiastic and talented cast. However, the open air and amplification make it often more difficult to capture the nuance or subtlety of the occasion. Best’s production is more sound and fury than introspection but this is probably to be expected in the open air in daylight hours with black birds flying high above. It may be a different matter when the production moves to the ACT HUB theatre in Kingston later in the season.

Lainie Hart as Lady Macbeth

There are fine performances from the diverse cast. Reilly’s Macbeth is the caged beast, trapped by supernatural forces to play out his destiny against his nature. It is the action of a man trapped and desperate to combat the consequences of his evil deeds. Hart does give a sensitively nuanced performance of the loyal and loving wife, driven to succeed in her ambition for her husband and yet too fragile to accept denial of her rightful role as partner in the deed with the tragic consequence of Macbeth’s rejection. From viperish vixen to tormented outcast, Hart elicits a performance that evokes a tinge of empathy during the sleepwalking scene. Usually, her death is not witnessed, and it is interesting that Best has decided to show a violent end.

There are some notable performances. Max Gambale’s bombastic King Duncan lends credibility to the fact that he could only have been murdered while asleep. Lachlan Ruffy gives an excellent performance as Macbeth’s offsider Banquo. He is the suspicious witness to the prophesy and hapless victim of his knowledge. There is an authenticity  to Caitlan Baker’s performance of the king’s son and heir, Malcolm. Paul Sweeney’s Macduff is hugely impressive ranging from his performance of the strong and loyal soldier to the poignancy of the grieving father and husband of  Lady Macduff. In a play of unrelenting violence Jane Ahlquist’s quirky porter lends a touch of comic lampoonery.

I have seen more productions of the Scottish play on stage and screen than I can remember. Lakespeare's and The Q's co-production is a feat of riveting storytelling. As the sky darkened over the Aunty Louise Brown lawns and Shakespeare’s psychological and political thriller hurtled towards its prophetic denouement, I found myself rapt in the company’s artful storytelling. It’s a ripping good yarn that will keep you wanting to see what happens however well you know that  something wicked this way comes.

Photos by Photox