Manchester Actors Platform, whose base is 53Two, have teamed
up with Rotherham Underground, a new
performing arts hub and theatre company from the South Yorkshire town from
whence I hail, Rotherham. MacBeth is their first venture and given it is widely
regarded as Shakespeare's finest tragedy, they certainly set themselves a
formidable challenge. Oh and just to add to that it was performed outside in
Angel Meadows Park. My interest was piqued as soon as I read all of the above.
Non-traditional theatre spaces (as we know now) are not explored enough and
Shakespeare lends itself beautifully to the outdoors.
As I approached the
‘venue’ I could see what looked like an army camp, this Macbeth is set in post
Brexit Britain and the UK has separated in to warring factions each vying for
control. As I settled on to the grass and listened to the sound of motorbikes
roaring by I wondered if the traffic would
pose a problem, it soon became apparent that this was not the case as we were
immersed in to this would of treachery, greed and murder. The pace, projection
and communication from all the actors allowed the audience to fully connect
with the narrative from the beginning. It managed to convey a contemporary feel
whilst staying true to the rhythm and language of Shakespeare.
Macbeth (Simon
Naylor) and Lady Macbeth (Alexandra Maxwell) were reminiscent of a contemporary
power couple and she used her sexual prowess and his obvious lust for both her
and power to persuade him to murder the King in cold blood. Naylor portrayed
Macbeth's inner turmoil with intensity juxtaposed by the calm and collected
Maxwell. It was then fascinating to observe the switch in their characters as
the play progressed. Supported by a strong ensemble that mutli-rolled the other
parts with ease including Benedict Fitzgerald from the Rotherham Underground’s Young Rep Company, who was making his professional debut. Ethan Holmes as Macduff particularly shone in his
performance and his portrayal of the discovery of the slaughter of his wife and
children was utterly heart-breaking. There were some wonderful visual imagery using smoke and fire which added
to the drama of the piece beautifully. The fight scenes were choreographed
superbly and executed perfectly by the cast which, is not always the case. Director Alice Bartlett created a production
which thrilled and engaged an audience on a rather chilly September evening in
Manchester, so much so that I, for one, forgot where I was for the entirety of
the show.
This production reignited my
love for the ‘Scottish play’ and I left feeling as though I had forgotten just
how fabulous it is. I think Rotherham Undergound has a bright and fabulous future
and maybe next time I’m ‘home’ I’ll see something of theirs on their home turf.
Reviewer - Kerry Kawai
on - 7/9/18
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