#rscmacbeth

Granted, it was a telecast in an American movie theatre, but it was still excellent.

Last night was the last night of The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2018 production of Macbeth.

I’ve seen the play, once or twice (okay, thirteen, if you insist on being precise). It’s been very much present in my life for over a year now (booked my Straford-upon-Avon tickets in November ‘17), which means last night was a very emotional night for me.

That’s not to say it wasn’t a good night. It was a brilliant night. I got to share the evening with @rvde-and-not-ginger. I got to meet @9hiddenshallows. I got to talk to Chris, and Bally Gill (who remembered me *squeals*), and meet Michael Hodgson, and Niamh Cusack. I got to see Macbeth onstage one last time before it’s off (though it seems the crew was already off 😂). I got to say goodbye to what became one of my favourite RSC plays.

An amazing night, but very emotional.

I don’t think there’s much that I can say about the play that I haven’t already said. Except for my fifth Straford-upon-Avon show (not sure why), I wrote about every performance I watched there in this post. I wrote a final review for the Straford-upon-Avon production in this post, and wrote about meeting Chris there in this post. I wrote a bit about the London production in this post, after my first three London shows in November. I doubt there’s anything more I can say about this play that I haven’t already said.

Yet I could still go on and on about how brilliant this production was. About how brilliant the cast is, and what a fantastic, relevant take it is on this tragedy. I could talk about how extremely creepy it is that the witches are played by three girls (I adore these girls), and that they’re all over the place, showing up to move stuff off the stage as a constant reminder that the forces of darkness are watching. I could talk about what a brilliant idea it was to have a countdown clock on, and about the symbolic meaning of it. I could talk about the cycle in this production, beginning with the witches and ending with the witches, and with the countdown clock back to the beginning, showing how circular history tends to be (and how humans tend to repeat the same mistakes). I could talk about Michael Hodgson’s brilliant, creepy, incredibly funny at times, Porter, and the fact he’s onstage throughout the entire play. I could talk about Niamh Cusack’s Lady Macbeth, and her passion and desire to give Macbeth something - anything - since she cannot give him living children. I could talk about Christopher Eccleston’s Macbeth - the tormented soldier, who very quickly finds himself sliding further down than he ever intended to. I could talk about the equality and the dynamic between the two of them.

I could. But I think I’ve already said most of it, and in truth, there aren’t enough words in the world to describe just what an amazing production it is. And how much I love it.

All I can say is, if you couldn’t catch it onstage, get the DVD. You won’t regret it, I promise. I honestly can’t wait for the DVD to be out already. 13 days to go, eh? (I’ve been waiting for this DVD since June, so what’s 13 days, right? She tried desperately to convince herself)

Over the past week I've had the privilege of watching five performances of Macbeth at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Straford-upon-Avon. As soon as The RSC announced it as part of their summer season, I knew I’d have to be there. I don’t regret it in the slightest.

The first time you watch a show, you’re very much focused on the plot and the general events happening on the stage. Even when you’re a person who always notices the details (hi), there’s a lot happening onstage, and it usually doesn’t leave enough available mental resources to remember the small things later on. Watching the play several times allowed me to take everything into account.

This production uses young girls as the witches, which immediately stands out in the play. The girls are incredibly creepy - and the creepiness effect doesn’t lessen in time. There’s something dark and sinister about their behaviour and the baby dolls they carry around with them. It’s enough to see them playing with the dolls or rocking them in their arms, like mothers putting their babies to sleep, to run shivers down one’s spine.

The motherhood theme is particularly present in this play. According to Niamh Cusack, playing Lady Macbeth, the idea of Lady Macbeth being unable to have children came up early in the development of this production, and it was embraced by both Christopher [Eccleston, Macbeth] and Polly [Findlay, director]. In a time when a woman’s main job was to produce children, the fact Lady Macbeth cannot have children (apart from one, who died a baby) makes her look for something else to give her husband. That’s where kingship comes in.

You can see how it affect Lady Macbeth - and Macbeth himself - throughout the production. The very talk of children is difficult for them both. It’s one of the things that show these characters as human - and pained ones, at that. Lady Macbeth’s own conscience only begins to drive her to madness once she hears a recording of Macduff’s child being killed. It’s also Macbeth’s mention that she should only have male children that causes her to break down early in the play, and the way Christopher and Niamh hold each other in that moment makes your heart ache. The deep love between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is very clear, particularly in that moment.

Some of the reviews I read today mentioned the lack of reference to dictatorship, which is very present in our world at the moment. But looking at the production, it’s easy to tell it’s just not true. The beauty of this production is in the sense of insecurity Christopher brings to Macbeth. His Macbeth gives a glimpse into the mind of a dictator. More often than not, the ones who seem most ruthless and secure are in fact the most insecure of all, and their ruthlessness is nothing but a way to hide it, to prove to themselves they’re not anything less than others. Christopher’s Macbeth is very much that, from his self-doubt over killing the king, to the constant visions he’s seeing.

Some of my favourite moments of this production are actually around that insecurity in Macbeth and the love between him and Lady Macbeth. The way they hold each other, the way they manage to reach each other, and even the grief in Macbeth after Lady Macbeth dies - all show that this is very much a tale of a couple, of equals, rather than Macbeth and his wife.

Like I said, Macbeth’s insecurity is very clear in this production. His sudden doubts about going along with Lady Macbeth’s plan, as well as the way he talks about killing Banquo, show his conscience (”he is too full of the milk of human kindness,” says Lady Macbeth in the beginning, and she’s right). His admission to Lady Macbeth that “my mind is full of scorpions” and that whole bedroom scene, where Macbeth keeps going from grief and doubt to certainty and back again, make it easy to feel for Macbeth. Macbeth seems ruthless in several scenes, but the moments he talks to the audience (brilliant move, by the way) or to Lady Macbeth show just how little he is certain of. There are a great desperation and a great pain in him.

As always, Christopher’s performance is captivating. Macbeth’s dagger soliloquy makes you search for the dagger onstage. His pain and doubt bring tears to your eyes. The vulnerability he brings to Macbeth is heartbreaking. Even the mockery in Macbeth’s tone and words in certain moments make you want to join in, because of course the other person is being ridiculous, of course Macbeth is right. That’s just the way it feels. Especially when he’s alone onstage, talking to the audience, rather than to himself. He invites you in, and you very easily and very willingly come in.

The subtle changes Niamh and Christopher make every night bring different elements into the spotlight. One night it’s the ferocity and anger in the Macbeths; the next it’s the vulnerability in them. They play around the script with the actions they take, and it’s absolutely beautiful to see. In the end of the day, though, what you think about when you walk out every night is how easy it is to use someone’s pain and insecurity against them, and how vulnerable to corruption one is when filled with those emotions. THIS is how dictators begin.

Michael Hodgson’s Porter is another beautiful part of this production. The Porter is very much an important part of the production, and while he certainly gives the occasional comic break, his role is far bigger than that. In a way, the Porter is “the porter of hell” here, and the way Michael plays him, he’s a fairly dark character, although not without humour. The Porter being onstage throughout the whole play and the “death count” he keeps on the walls make him a central character, even if it doesn’t have as many lines as other main characters.

The clock was an interesting addition, though I will admit it had me a bit distracted the first time around. It does add a certain sense of urgency, and the similarity between the ending of the production and the beginning of it, with the witches, as well as restarting the clock, hint at the cycle of death continuing. The way I saw it, it’s an interesting reminder that mankind just doesn’t learn - and history keeps repeating itself as the cycles go on and on. The most obvious example to that would be Hitler and Trump... but we won’t go there right now.

Overall, an absolutely brilliant production. I’m incredibly happy that I got the chance to watch it multiple times, and I certainly hope I’ll get to watch it again onstage, either at the RST or at the Barbican. It’s worth it.

Or rather, something amazing this way comes.

So yes, tonight I watched @thersc Macbeth. I’ve no words to describe just what an incredible experience it was.

I know I’ve said pretty much every time I’ve watched an RSC show, but it’s true every time: just when you thought they couldn’t make their plays more mesmerising, more beautiful, more engaging, more memorable... they find the way to do just that.

The stage was built so beautifully. The added “top floor”, so to speak, and the quotes/time mentions were totally awesome; the lighting and the sudden “thunders” were gorgeous. Kinda reminded me of The Tempest in the sense of how advanced that element felt. The wall-counting (no spoilers, watch and you’ll understand) sent shivers down my spine.

The Cast was incredible. The girls (witches) were REALLY creepy; it was totally a Stephen King movie. Niamh Cusack was brilliant as Lady Macbeth. And Christopher Eccleston was AMAZING as Macbeth.

Now, I’ve been a fan of Christopher’s for a few years now, but the experience of seeing him on stage just made me more passionate about it. He’s brilliant. Really. Some serious goosebumps moments going on there. I’m talking nonsense right now Cos I’m tired, but he was utterly amazing. I couldn’t stop watching. Even with the countdown (also BRILLIANT, particularly with the ending), watching him onstage was like being out of time. He captures Macbeth so beautifully - the soldier, the kind-hearted, the ruthless, the driven-mad-by-his-conscience. It was absolutely mesmerising.

Of course, getting to meet him afterwards was the best part of the night ❤️

eat fruit and healthy stuff peeps~