Macbeth Triumphs, in spite of losing his head
Hayley
Brown and the SOS Theatre Company reached a level of excellence rarely seen in
School Drama, with their Macbeth drawing plaudits from some seasoned
professional commentators at LIPA on Friday 9th February.
Their fast-paced yet accurate half-hour version of The Scottish Play is characterised by inventive, economical staging, fluid movement, and a very high level of spoken delivery. Minimalist lighting, live music, some on home-made instruments, and clever use of pre-recorded voice deliver a very accomplished performance, in which the production never gets in the way of the story-telling.
An extremely clever framing device throws us straight into the action, as Macduff stands with his sword at Macbeth’s throat: anxious to bare his soul, Macbeth tells the story in flashbacks, and our return to this opening tableau 25 minutes later provides a very satisfying end, as Macduff slits the throat of the bloody butcher.
As the drum sounds, you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching the White Russian Army at the outset, as Cossack jackets in mild taupe, and puttees seem oddly non-Scottish. However it is the entrance of the witches, (two barefoot, black-clad urchins and their imposing be-skulled and animal-skinned master) that steals the show. Shaking his rattle-staff and weaving a fog of mystery, courtesy of a length of garden fleece, he bewitches and betrays Macbeth, who displays all the naivete of a Big Brother contestant.
A bare stage and a tea-chest, under a pale blue wash seems to be infinitely adaptable, as it serves for banquet chamber, courtyard, hillside and forest: red flags wave, and lanterns light: Banquo’s ghost appears in the gloom, and messengers announce doom and death. Macbeth himself stands on the tea-chest pedestal like a statue to his own legend, sword outstretched and immobile, as his world unravels beneath him. It is pure Shakespeare, and much closer to the original stage conditions than many overblown productions which slavishly try to follow film or television, and as such miss out on the live experience.
Of course, minimal staging offers little help to the cast in telling the story: that requires accurate diction and projection. It is gratifying to hear Shakespeare spoken with confidence and intelligence, and it is hallmark of this company that such clarity is sustained throughout.
The imposing dignity of Macbeth and Macduff will remain long in memory, as will the writhing of the witch-urchins, the rattling of the staff, the crispness of the messengers and the pathetic madness of Lady Macbeth. Oh, and the guitar music.
