Macbeth Review

Poonperm Paitayawat is our audience reviewer for Macbeth. A graduate from the Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon, and now reading for an MA Drama at Royal Holloway, his interests in theatre lie in both Shakespeare and contemporary plays.

Appearance is never to be trusted. The three nurses that vigorously tender the wounded soldier can instantly turn into the witches that suck away his breath. 'Fair is foul and foul is fair,' they chant in eerie harmony. Indeed, the instruments of darkness are lurking everywhere—in the kitchen, in the mortuary, at the banquet. But, only the evil minds respond to their calling.

Macbeth is one of them. Age clearly not only brings wisdom but also the frustration that life is stagnating. Patrick Stewart's Macbeth is an experienced solider, but in Scotland's militaristic court, he and Banquo are no more than the 'walking shadow' of the younger King and his heirs. While Banquo looks to his son for hope, Macbeth turns to his loving wife for help. Kate Fleetwood as Lady Macbeth feasts her husband with the hysterical magnetism of her own ambition. Having exorcised his unmanly fear to kill the king, she realises Macbeth is forever changed. In her sleepwalking, Fleetwood howls and neurotically rubs her hands—a heart-wrenching, yet desperate attempt to undo the past.

Once afraid of taking action, Macbeth metamorphoses into an unrelenting murderer. Sadly whispering 'Tomorrow' to his dead wife as if he were asking her to wait for him, Stewart's Macbeth cannot be fast relieved of despair—as if cursed by the witches. Stewart reflects with utmost subtlety the consequences of the bloodbath Macbeth's former self has authored. Stewart's stellar performance is marked by his restlessness, his inability to end his tragedy by his own hands.

Rupert Goold marvellously transforms this medieval tragedy of ambition to a psycho-thriller of a modern totalitarian state—accentuated by Anthony Ward's starkly realistic, military design and highly-developed multimedia to re-enact the 'sound and fury' of supernatural horror and perverted prophecies. This may not be a Shakespeare for theatre purists but it is definitely a Shakespeare for today's audience.

Macbeth is now sold out; book for Twelfth Night performed by the same cast.

Other Audience Reviews

"Fantastic, mind blowing ,the best thing I have seen at the theatre since seeing John Malkovitch in 'Burn This' at Swiss Cottage in the late 80's!"
Jackie Powell via email (12 Sep)

"Absolutely loved Macbeth and Twelfth night- amazing, just wanted to do Macbeth once more,wish it had ran for longer,not to be missed, Macbeth and lady Macbeth were truely captivating a joy to watch, fantastic!"
Susan via email (6 Sep)

"I just had to email you after watching Macbeth at the Minerva Theatre last night, it was truly out of this world.

"Last night I saw the very best production I have ever seen of any play. I am still in awe of the terrifically,  powerfully, electrically charged  atmosphere, that took us from the Minerva in Chichester to be transported into the realms of the dark minds and characters of Shakespeare's play. All the actors were outstanding!  Everything was absolutely outstanding!!  Thank you !!  I have  been coming to Chichester theatre for over 20 years and this was the very ,very best. Congratulations on staging this in the Minerva where the audience were drawn into the play so completely..... I am still there."