The Northern Newsletter

Chance may crown this production phenomenal.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is arguably one of the most recognisable pieces of theatre to ever grace society and be established in our own curriculum. Having weaved itself into the cloth of English culture, Leeds Playhouse deserves its place under the sun and be acclaimed just like Shakespeare’s tragic climax into manipulation, malevolence, and murder. Simply, the performance can be glorified for expressing these themes poignantly except that would be omitting the avant-garde inclusions.

Stratford-upon-Avon. Jacobean Era. Shakespeare first performs Macbeth in 1606 at Hampton Court for King James 1st of England. Inspired by historical figures such as Aristotle, and his theory of the tragic arc, with the guidance of the Holinshed Chronicles. He wrote it with the subliminal message of endorsing the controversially crowned king. The play begins with the unholy trinity prophesying Macbeth will become King of Scotland. This develops his wicked and wayward behaviour into a spiral of paranoia. So, on the 19th of March, the Shakespeare Society endeavored into the theatre to be forever weary of what is deemed fair and foul.

Upon entering the theatre, I was astonished by the quality of the setting. Untamed and hostile, the foliage constricted the scenery like an anaconda. Yet the ‘foliage’ was more mechanical and modern, taking the form of towering beckons of light that threatened to topple and plunge the world into darkness. Alone. They stalked the moorland scenery which effectively immersed the audience through the interactive terrain which consisted of a puddle and area that hid a box under its course sediment. The solitary anchor of the staging, however, was a drawbridge that rose and fell for the purpose of creating multiple diverse scenes without a drastic amount of effort.

The couple elements that I viewed as amplifying the performance were: the use of sign language and Lady Macbeth’s execution. It was a comforting display of inclusion for those in the deaf community being able to understand the dialogue as well, pathing the way for future inclusive performances everywhere. However, I viewed the sign language as well as being another layer to the witch’s supernatural character. Attended or not, I found that it allowed them to play into the stereotype of ancient witchcraft like gestures; raising them to symbolise puppeteers dictating Macbeth’s future through secrecy. Another example of sign language being interesting was Macduff, played by Adam Bassett, being a genuinely deaf character. Encouraging those who may suffer from a lack of confidence due to a disability and to leave their comfort zone in favour of doing what they love. Lady Macbeth’s performance by Jessica Barlow was an unexpected take at a character who is usually subjected to isolation within a patriarchal society. Yet, Lady Macbeth’s role was significantly enhanced adding another layer to the tragic arc as she suffers a miscarriage – perhaps by the hands of a divine entity for her involvement in regicide? Despite the multitudinous reasons for this, her pregnancy allowed us to sympathises with her despite her manipulative tendencies and vivid evolvement in influencing Macbeth’s agency.

Altogether, Macbeth at the Leeds playhouse was a definite triumph as it combined themes from Jacobean eras but developing them with ideas from our own technological society. If the play should be left the same or should have new inclusions is debatable; the inclusion of epic music crescendoing into the major reveal surrounding Lady Macbeth was effective, however. The ending clearly displayed the restoration of the Divine right. I would certainly recommend this production to those planning on attending future showings.