#jammy git

1. Okay so I think it might have been the arts interview where Tennant says not to worry about understanding Shakespeare because if the actors are doing their job right you will be fine. He's right and this cast utterly succeeds at that.

2. I'm generally terrible for my mind wandering when I'm watching things (the rewind button on my remote is much abused) but I was enthralled from start to finish. Even with having seen it multiple times. Not a hint of my mental shopping list.

3. My potentially controversial opinion is that I might like the cheap seats better? When I was in the stalls I was off to the side, whereas the standing tickets obviously you're looking at the stage head on. I think some of the visuals were far more striking from the back - you get full impact from the lighting and the blood seeping out at the death scene and the people behind the screen at the back. I don't think the warm to cool light changes are as noticeable from the front. However, you obviously have a much better view of the actors and the nuances of their performances (although because of the set up of the theatre from the side you are blocked from seeing everyone on stage at some points). It's a bit more intense up close, and it does feel like the actors are looking directly at you (Not me quailing in my seat during prolonged eye contact 😅)

4. I think I went through the overall choices made before but some more things I enjoyed: how much humour is imbued throughout, Lady Macbeth being warm and likeable, Macbeth lying prone multiple times through the play mirroring his final send off, Macduff "all my pretty ones?", Macbeth's little face when he gets both swords, him questioning the manhood of the cutthroats, the absolute softness of Macbeth's embrace before completely pulling the rug out from under you and murdering a child in the same gesture.

4. Minor miracle how Cush Jumbo managed not to get her bloodied hands on her very white dress? Very impressed with this.

5. I think the one thing I would say is that they should have made Fleance/Macduff's son/Young Siward have more obvious costume changes between them

6. I still love how pared back the stage and costumes are. It's incredible how rich the experience is with actually not a lot.

7. I think I'm sold on the binaural audio; the play opens in darkness and you hear a bird move from one side to the other in your headset. Not only do I look from one side to the other like a fool, but my brain reckons it can see the wings in the gloom. There are multiple moments that the delivery is far more intimate than would be allowed without use of the audio. I think this could be really beneficial for larger theatres for those in the cheaper seats too. Also, maybe better for inclusivity for those with visual or aural impairments if everyone has a headset? The drawbacks for me are the occasional crackle you get from the mic pack, and I guess maybe it feels like you're further removed from the actors themselves. Also I guess if I'm sitting at the side my left and right sounds don't quite match up with where the actors are looking based on where the left to right sounds are for those sitting centrally? It didn't really affect my enjoyment any, but would perhaps need to be considered if this was used in different performances/larger theatres etc.

8. What the binaural audio did not stop was me hearing the woman sitting next to me gasping and jumping about ten foot into the air multiple times during the performance. She absolutely had not noticed anything going on behind the screen at the back until they started hammering, and of course I then jumped myself cause I was not expecting noise/motion from that side. This was incredibly funny but awkwardly coincided with some of the most intense parts of the play. (Although I imagine if I hadn't already seen it I might have been less entertained)

9. Have I said how good it was? It bears repeating

10. Standing Ovation discourse: Friday night I was surprised by how few stood? As the painfully British person I am, I was hoping that someone else would stand up first but they didn't in my block. Also I almost garotted myself on the headphone wire when I stood up so maybe this was a consideration others were having. I was sort of shocked that others didn't stand after we did (not because I think I'm some kind of influencer but IME British standing ovations are motivated by social pressure in a "oh gosh all these other people are standing up, I guess I better had too" sort of way. There has to be enough people doing it to overcome the innate "you must not make a scene" directive that burns within our souls.) No one stood in the front row of my bit at all. Sat Mat had noticeably more people standing, including in the front row.

11. The person sat next to me said to her husband as it ended "I certainly wasn't wowed by it" and I was utterly shook. I don't think I heard any one else being particularly critical (but also I would never say anything so damning about a show I'd seen in the theatre itself so maybe it's not a fair sample)