Michael Cox reviews 2008: Macbeth, Waiting for Orestes: Electra and Watt.
I genuinely love the Edinburgh International Festival. Where the Fringe is on a budget, much of EIF's productions are chalk-full of spectacle from companies that probably wouldn't tour to Scotland during the rest of the year. The tickets might cost more money, but you can really get great bang for your buck (or pound, as we're in the UK), and even most of the misfires have enough in them to justify the price and time.
Case in point, 2008: Macbeth (***). Though flawed, this Polish production is one of the most ambitious theatre experiences I've seen in some time. Taking the basics of Shakespeare's play, this production is set somewhere in the Middle East and is played on a large three-level set with direction that appears inspired by David Lynch by way of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.
While the Middle Eastern concept might not hold the entire production together, the details are quite intriguing. Loud echoing gunshots and heat-inducing explosions ricochet off the audience, a command post has large screens and blinking lights, video recordings of monologues are projected on walls and a large washing machine spurts watery blood. Medieval Scotland this is not.
All of this is rather impressive, if emotionally a bit vacant. None of the pathos that usually comes with Macbeth appears. In fact, if the production has a problem it's that it feels compelled to keep returning to the original play and text. The most successful moments are those that are furthest from Shakespeare’s original that come across more as deconstructive interpretations rather than straight-shooting staging. It is for those moments that this production comes recommended.
Also full of great visuals is Waiting for Orestes: Electra (***), an interesting take on the Greek story about the death of King Agamemnon and the repercussions that befall his traitorous wife and her lover via his children.
Much like Macbeth, Electra is at its best when it’s at its most original. The chorus is made up of five men in wheelchairs, who move at speeds and manipulate manoeuvres most wouldn’t believe possible, and are complimented by tall, beautiful (and leggy) nurses. Electra literally sits still for the majority of the play, barely batting an eye or betraying herself by a muscle twitch, while waiting for her brother’s arrival. The set, mostly stark shiny black, makes the Kings Theatre space look even larger, almost swallowing the cast.
And yet, those not overly familiar with the Agamemnon tale will struggle for coherence. The production is much more focused on style than substance, so anyone looking for a lifeline of plot will find it lacking. Impressive, but by no means emotionally stimulating.
Which is what makes Watt (****) all the more of an intriguing selection for the EIF. Whereas Macbeth comes from Poland and Electra from the Far East, with both being highly technical theatrical wonders, Watt is from Dublin and has a set and direction that would comfortably fit on over half the stages of the Fringe.
The true marvel of this production is in Barry McGovern’s work. Taking extracts from Samuel Beckett’s novel and giving them theatrical life, McGovern creates a compelling performance that relies on word delivery and the simplest of movements. The less he does, the richer the performance. With so very little movement, McGovern creates a riveting world that is at time hilarious, other times heart-breaking but consistently interesting. It is not just a commanding production but proof positive that the best of theatre isn’t found in glorious spectacle but in the heart.
2008: Macbeth, Waiting for Orestes: Electra and Watt have completed their runs. 2008: Macbeth is available to view here.
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