A modern Macbeth that is sure to move you
Wednesday 27th April 2011, 6:15AM BST.
Macbeth
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Stratford
This is Macbeth without the witches. Michael Boyd’s breathtaking and memorable production replaces the three cackling old crones with something much nastier – the hanged, speaking bodies of children yet to be murdered.
The script has been tampered with accordingly. It may irritate the purists but don’t knock it until you’ve shuddered through it.
Theatre explores areas that Hollywood dare not touch. Even 18-rated horror movies shrink from depicting the murder of small children. In the raw, new space of Stratford’s revamped RST, it happens with piteous savagery as the McDuff line is snuffed out.
Bestriding it all is Jonathan Slinger’s satisfyingly deranged Macbeth, who delivers his lines with crystal clarity, and his beautiful manipulative Lady (Aislin McGuckin) who has just a hint of Margaret Thatcher about her.
Most Macbeths rely on light relief from the jovial drunken Porter. This Porter (Jamie Beamish) is an Irish loony with a firework fixation who opens his coat to reveal what looks disturbingly like a suicide-bomber’s vest. Be prepared for some very loud noises.
And take a hankie; this harrowing and intensely moving show may well make you cry.
Macbeth runs until October 6.
By Peter Rhodes
Entertainment QuickSearch
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