Arts:Blog

Theatre Review: Macbeth (an undoing) ***

Yvonne Paterson reviews the 'bold' re-evaluation of the classic Shakespearean tragedy.

Shakespeare’s tragic tale of Macbeth has been told, retold and re-written for centuries but has never been undone: until now. Defying Shakespeare’s very words ‘What’s done cannot be undone,’ writer and director Zinnie Harris makes a bold move and attempts to challenge such a notion.

Macbeth (an undoing) is not a complete rewrite. Even amidst the Scottish humour and profanities there is enough of Shakespeare’s famous speeches and phrases interlaced with Harris’ writing to make it familiar. Harris flips the tale to bring a new perspective: what if Lady Macbeth had been given the chance to become the tyrannic, strong, bold, ambitious ruler she threatened to become instead of descending into insanity. The production reverses the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and often breaks the fourth wall to explore these possibilities.

Nicole Cooper gives a strong performance as Lady Macbeth. Her ability to convey strength, determination, frustration and vulnerability—sometimes all in the same moment—is absorbing. Adam Best as Macbeth is equally on par, committing to the reactions of his wife’s ambitions and his terrible crimes, as well as the mental turmoil they have inflicted.

The supporting cast includes Marc Mackinnon (Duncan/Murderer 2/ Courtier), Taqi Nazeer (Bloody Soldier/ Lennox), Jade Ogugua (Lady McDuff), James Robinson (Banquo), Laurie Scott (Ross/ Murderer 1), Paul Tinto (Macduff/Doctor & Courier). They are all engaging, but Star Penders lends a brilliant comical disinterest and naivety in the role as Malcolm (also playing Missy), and the storytelling by Liz Kettle, who plays Carlin, is intriguing: Kettle knows how to work the audience and makes the most of this ability so you can’t help but warm to her.

The tone of this production is deliberately distorted. Tom Piper’s set design adds to this distortional feeling: the deep, endless empty stage, from the opening scene to the mirrored box, surrounding the players as the play progresses, opening and closing, always moving to accommodate it’s actors lending itself to create the various backdrops required, with Lizzie Powell’s murky lighting design echoing its eerie feeling.

What is most interesting about this production is that it’s a play that knows it’s a play. It is not afraid to remind its audience of this fact, doing so in some comical ways, including seeing some of its actors posing as stage/tech crew who misplace items of set or declare that the assistant’s assistant is unavailable. This clever tactic also has a sinister motive, and it is perhaps it’s most concealed dagger–this is, after all, the cursed play: it sees moments with Lady Macbeth questioning creative choices, attempting to halt scenes by protesting that some of the dramatic action is ‘wrong’ and that, ‘this is not the scene’.

However, much to her despair, the play is out of her control, made clear by Carlin’s storyteller in the opening scenes by saying, ‘This story will be told, the way it has always been told. What use is it otherwise?’

Which perhaps makes Harris’ version even more tragic than its original.

Macbeth (an undoing) performs and the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh until February 25, 2023.