3rd Age Critic Review Macbeth Manchester International Festival(via Odeon Bridgend) 20th July Marcia Humphries

3rd Age Critic Review Marcia Humphries Macbeth  Manchester International Festival(via Odeon Bridgend) 20th July

                                                                           

This  National Theatre Live screening was part of the project to broadcast stage productions live to cinemas, giving access to major performances  at convenient locations for a reduced price. This transmission was from the Manchester International Festival.  More precisely, it came from within the walls of a deconsecrated  Manchester church; a suitable setting for  the dark deeds of Macbeth. The camera angles take a little getting used to; they show close-ups of the person speaking, which you do not get in live theatre.  So it is not exactly like being in the theatre, but cost and convenience outweigh any niggles. Actually, in this case we were treated to some spectacular shots looking down on the action, which would not have been available in the church itself, so a bonus.  Forthcoming productions include  Othello on 26th September (Adrian Lester as the Moor).

 

The format is to take the cinema audience into the theatre (or here the church), before the performance begins. There is usually an introductory talk. This time it was by Emma Freud. She interviewed Bob Ashford,  co-director  with Kenneth Branagh, who also took the title role. He said they had worked together easily and he had maintained a good director/actor relationship with the star, who had readily accepted ideas.  When tickets were released in February, the whole run sold out within nine minutes, indicating how keen theatre-goers were to see Branagh’s return to Shakespeare after a ten year gap. But what could even he bring to this much-performed play that would be new and fresh? asked Emma Freud.  Bob Ashford’s immediate answer was a closeness between the Macbeth’s,  stressing that they did all they did for each other,  until after the murder when things fell apart.

 

As the play began we were reminded of the terrific stage presence of Kenneth Brannagh and the clear diction he uses to give full value to every word of the text, his lips caressing the syllables. The same could not be said of the witches, who were heavily made-up in what looked like grey ash, shrieking and swallowing their words to the point of incoherence.

 

The Macbeths were indeed shown as a close and sensual couple.  Alex Kingston as Lady Macbeth was strong and knew where her husband’s nature was softer, bolstering him to do the deed he feared.  Unusually, we were shown the murder on stage……..and we saw the King look at Macbeth as it happened, bringing home how dreadful a betrayal  it was.

 

As the Macbeth’s disintegrated later, it was very clear he felt the hollowness of the achievement and that all that evil had produced so little of good .  Alex Kingston showed us that her boldness had gone and the horror of it all turned her into a lost soul, remote from  reality.

 

Lady Macduff (Rosalie Craig) effortlessly sketched out the happy domestic life of her family, helped by a very assured  Pip Pearce, as her son.  This made the scene of Macduff’s grief when told of the family slaughter especially poignant.  But I must also feel it…..and we felt it too as Ray Fearon took due time to show  the primal rawness of his broken heart.

 

There was plenty of action, battle scenes fought in mud and rain and a fast pace sustained by there being no interval.

 

It is not too strong to say that this was a definitive production, the well known Scottish Play becoming new and vibrant once more in the hands of a gifted team.

 

 

 

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