Emerging bloodied from the battlefield, victorious generals Macbeth and Banquo witness a prophecy of three witches: Macbeth will sit on Scotland’s throne. Read more …
A dark seed of ambition has been planted, and with King Duncan feasting under their roof, Macbeth and his wife draw their daggers and take fate into their own hands. A king is murdered, a crown seized and a vicious spiral of betrayal and bloody violence begins.
Shakespeare’s shortest and most brutal tragedy of superstition and vaulting ambition is a wild ride from power and glory to greed and treachery. In a ruthless struggle to secure control of a nation, Scotland becomes a battleground where trust, loyalty and truth are only the first victims.
O'Riordan brings forth clear and intelligent performances across the board. From the magnetic stillness of Richard Conlon's Ross to the bottled-up bitterness of Michael Moreland's Banquo, they seem not so much angry as sadly let down by the once-golden couple.
All in all, however, this is Macbeth more clever, inventive and absorbing than we usually see, and another triumph for Perth Theatre under O’Riordan.
It certainly bodes well for this Macbeth that it gathers rather than loses strength in the second half, as Macduff and Malcolm forge their vital alliance; the cast are young, committed, hard-edged, interesting.
Interview: theatre director Rachel O'Riordan discusses her new production of Macbeth
Interview: Rachel O'Riordan on Macbeth, Perth Theatre
Perth Theatre, Perth from Friday September 20, 2013, until Saturday October 5, 2013. More info: www.horsecross.co.uk
Tron Theatre, Glasgow from Tuesday October 8, 2013, until Saturday October 19, 2013. More info: www.tron.co.uk
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