It is an ambitious
but exciting feat to simultaneously take on two of Shakespeare’s most well
known and loved plays, Othello and Macbeth, and condense them into a single
production. To play out both in their entirety would make for a mammoth 6 hour
journey. Rest assured this is not the case.
Unfortunately what
could've been a fascinating modern fusion of two intimately connected but
contrasting tragedies instead descended into a frantic and rather characterless
race against time. The plays are performed back to back, mercilessly stripped
back with really only the most tenuous of connections.
In both plays the
plot moves at such a pace that, without a sound prior knowledge of either
plays' narratives, one is only just about able to sustain a basic understanding
of the plays’ most simplistic story arcs.The subtleties and nuances are lost in
both, by no real fault of the actors on stage, just because of the sheer pace
and rash ambition of the production. Huge chunks of the script are scrapped
including much of Iago’s iconic soliloquies, leaving most characters on stage
seeming very shallow and unrelatable. Without Iago’s whisperings, Othello’s
jealous turmoil seems entirely irrational. Without the subtle and manipulative
uncertainties of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s bedside conversations, Lady
Macbeth’s descent into madness seems completely unwarranted.
The choice of editing
is unusual. Whilst lots of the key speeches are missing, Desdemona and Emelia’s
characters from Othello are left largely untouched, leaving them now glaringly
prominent, where they are usually overlooked. Melissa Johns and Kirsten Foster
put in a stellar performance with what little they have to work with here,
however the obvious intended message of female empowerment does not ultimately
shine through.
Although like
watching a play in fast-forward, Othello in isolation does hold some promise.
The set design is simple and effective and the approach is different enough to
provoke intrigue. However none of this is satisfied in Macbeth, which contains
some embarrassingly amateurish moments and the audience is left with nothing
but questions. Why is there a sword fight in a modern adaptation? Why is
Macbeth wearing armour? Why is Lady Macbeth cradling what looks like a baby?
Why has Banquo become a bizarre comedy zombie?
If it is intended as
a radical feminist perspective on a familiar Shakespearean story, this premise does
not deliver. Whilst it does have its moments, particularly in the first half,
there is nothing particularly radical about representations of distressed and
abused vulnerable young women. And irrelevant of this, these moments are
lingered on for only a moment and create what can only be described as a
confusing yet promising prequel to an overwhelmingly disappointing anticlimax.
Reviewer - Oscar Lister
on - 19/9/18
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