i have not actually seen the new season, just making a calculated guess based on what i've seen on tumblr

and another calculated guess

someone tell me if this is correct pls

I love how Macbeth is most definitely a tragedy yet somehow our cast has managed to make it a comedy at the same time.

Banquo babygirl , I love you, but please develop some situational awareness

David Tennant audios: a plethora of Macbeths (but this one's just MacB)!

It's been a while since I've delved into a lesser-known David Tennant project, so let's see if we can't fix that, shall we? And especially since he's currently at the Donmar Warehouse doing Macbeth, I've got just the thing to showcase! (And no, it isn't his 2005 role as the Porter in Arkangel Shakespeare's audio version of Macbeth, though that IS cool! And it's not the more recent April 2022 version of Macbeth he did for Radio 4 with Daniela Nardini as Lady Macbeth and Stuart McQuarrie as Banquo - two actors he's worked with in the past; Nardini in Antigone for the 7:84 back in early 1993, and McQuarrie in a 1994 production of John Byrne's The Slab Boys Trilogy at the Young Vic in London.)

No, this is yet another Macbeth-adjacent project. It was something David did in September of 2009 for a BBC Radio 7 programme called Big Toe Books. I'll say up front that I wish I knew a LOT more about this project than I do...but I just don't. So I'll tell you what I do know.

But first, a bit of history:

The Big Toe Radio Show - a children's programme aimed at children aged 9 to 11 and which featured games, music, and stories read from well-known books - ran on BBC Radio 7 from 2002 to 2007. When it ended in 2007, the BBC created another show with an adapted format to replace it called Big Toe Books.

Big Toe Books was an hour long show of book readings for older children 8+, which transmitted at 4pm. It featured presenters Kirsten O'Brien (2007-2009) and Chris Pizzey (2010-2011) and lasted until 2011, when it was axed. At the same time, Radio 7 was rebranded as a BBC Radio 4 spin-off station, Radio 4 Extra. At the time, Big Toe Books' listenership was about 136K, but only 21K were children.

Now you're probably wondering how all my ramblings about children's programmes ties in with Macbeth, right? Well as I said previously, David was a guest reader on Big Toe Books, and at 4pm on 14 Sep 2009, he read a book by Neil Arksey called MacB!

And there's the tie-in!

Here are a few blurbs from various newspapers featuring the listing for the show - and oh, incidentally, if you look at the 6pm slot, you'll see a show called Seventh Dimension. That show was a speculative fiction show of various kinds - and in early 2007, it featured a series of original Doctor Who audio dramas starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor!

But back to David and MacB. Now Arksey's book wasn't the Macbeth we're familiar with…not really. Firstly, his book was written for young adults. Secondly, it was based on Macbeth the play, but Arksey set it on the football field rather than the Royal Court. Here's a summary of the plot: "It tells the tale of two best friends, Banksie and MacB. The two train together at football all summer in the hopes of getting onto the football team. When a fortune Teller tells them both that each would be captain, it seems unlikely, especially as they are up against star striker Duncan King, the most likely man for the job. When Duncan has a terrible accident that means he can't play, Banksie has suspicions about whether it really was an accident after all. Was it fate, or did MacB have a hand in it?"

And that's pretty much all I know about David's stint as a guest reader for BBC Radio 7 programme Big Toe Books, reading Neil Arksey's book MacB (which was originally published by Puffin in 1999). Like I said, I wish I had more information about this audio drama. But this little bit is all I've been able to find. And oh, if you want to hear it, go here! I won't tell if you won't!

ok so this is probably going to be rlly ramble-ly and incomprehensible and its definitely embarrassing how long it took me to work this out but here we go.

in how the riddler got his name, ed interupts hamlet, specifically the ghost scene. when i first saw it i was confused as to why they didnt go for the scene in macbeth with banquos ghost, assuming they were trying to compare ed to the title character for the whole ghost - seeing thing.

However, after an embarrassing amount of thinking, i remembered a very important part of hamlet.

ophelia drowns after hamlet tells her he dosent love her (and, if i remember correctly, hes lying)

ed thinks oswald drowned after telling him he didnt love him.

Polanski's Macbeth: A Rambling Review, Part 1

So this film’s director apparently turned out to be a creep. Thankfully, it’s been long enough that I don’t think watching it is going to really benefit him and his creepiness. 

Also, this film was produced in part by Playboy (???). Apparently there was a period where they were trying to make non-pornographic films. 

The three witches in this version were composed of one young witch and two older witches. The young witch barely got to speak.

Macbeth was really really young-looking in this version. And quite attractive (at least before all the murders kind of ruined that). His youth actually made him seem surprisingly vulnerable early on. 

He and Banquo had great interactions early on. Much like with the Patrick Stewart Macbeth, they actually seemed like friends.

The witches “vanished” by going into a hole through a door, right in front of Macbeth. Macbeth still said that they vanished into the air, even though there’s no way he could have missed that door.

Also, the young witch did a weird little dance right before she left through the door. 

The Thane of Cawdor’s death was actually onscreen in this version. He was hung, but instead of using a rope, they had an iron cuff around his neck instead. Was this a real method of execution? 

King Duncan seemed old, but not excessively so. Which was good, because in a lot of productions he seems ready to drop dead at any second. 

Malcolm was totally forgettable and barely did anything in the movie. They even cut the scene where he shows off his smarts by testing Macduff, so he really came across as a nonentity. Donalbain seemed like more of a character than Malcolm did, and I think he had a grand total of about two minutes of screentime. 

Donalbain had a noticeable limp. The film also ended (rather depressingly) with him visiting the three witches. Because we needed more bleak stuff in an already very bleak and bloody film. He also seemed noticeably older than the actor playing Malcolm. 

Lady Macbeth was young and very pretty. She was an excellent wolf in sheep’s clothing and was definitely carrying the plot to kill the King, as Macbeth spent most of that part of the film giving thousand-yard stares. 

That being said, the fact that both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were so young did make it a little unclear as to why Macbeth’s so obsessed about not having children. There’s nothing in the film that suggests that they shouldn’t be able to have kids whenever they want…and since Lady Macbeth’s “I have given suck” line was cut, there’s also not any indication that they’ve previously tried to have children and that those children then died. 

Lady Macbeth’s attacks on Macbeth weren’t nearly as angry and venomous as they are in a lot of versions. She seemed to be playing on her own tears and their obviously very close relationship instead.

Weirdly, the aforementioned attacks on Macbeth’s courage and manhood happened right in the middle of a large crowd. Granted, there was a lot of dancing going on at the time, but I kept wondering how no one was overhearing them talk about what obviously sounds like regicide. 

Lady Macbeth’s “Come, you spirits” speech was a bit underwhelming and not as creepy as it usually is. To make up for this, she was especially convincing as Duncan’s kind hostess. 

Macbeth’s conversation with Banquo was actually a distraction in this version—it was intended to keep Banquo from noticing Lady Macbeth drugging the king’s guards. 

Fleance was adorable. 

Macbeth’s dagger was a full-on hallucination that stayed consistently on-screen for most of that sequence. It looked a little weird (probably due to the technological limitations of the early 1970s). 

All of the costumes were gorgeous…though many of them were probably anachronistic.  

The huge number of knights and the full staff of servants at Macbeth’s castle really helped the settings to feel more lively than in most versions of the play that I’ve seen. 

The settings were also fantastic. 

Lady Macbeth’s hairstyles were great and I loved all of them. 

Macbeth’s murder of Duncan is fully onscreen in this version, and Duncan even wakes up before Macbeth can do the deed. As a result, his death is particularly violent and horrifying. In a nice bit of symbolism, the crown falls off of its resting place during the struggle between Macbeth and Duncan. 

Macduff had a serious Stalin mustache and it kind of made it hard to take him seriously (though his actor did a great job). 

Lady Macbeth’s faint is almost undoubtedly real in this version…it’s prompted by seeing the mutilated bodies of the two guards (which the audience also gets the displeasure of seeing) and, of course, Duncan’s corpse. This is one of the few versions of the play where we actually get to see the death of the guards in any capacity. 

Macbeth grows a beard after killing Duncan. Why, I don’t know (though it does at least make him look less like a college student). 

Another thing that we get to see that isn’t always present is Macbeth getting crowned at Scone, complete with that rock that Scottish kings used as a sign of their authority. For some reason, he didn’t wear shoes in this scene.

The Thane of Ross is in on Banquo’s murder in this version (he’s the Third Murderer). He also is responsible for then drowning the other two murderers (presumably in order to keep them quiet and/or punish them for not killing Fleance). 

Banquo puts up a really good fight against his killers in this version and is also directly responsible for his son’s escape (he shoots an arrow at Ross to prevent him from stopping Fleance’s escape). 

Banquo’s death also involves felling some trees to block the path of his horse in this version—not something I’ve seen in any other version. Though it makes a lot of sense. 

We also get to see people at Macbeth’s castle enjoy a good old-fashioned bear baiting. It’s just as horrific as you might imagine. Lady Macbeth really loves bear-baitings. And so, disturbingly, do the local small children. 

The bear-baiting also becomes important later in the film, where Macbeth finds himself pressed against the bear-baiting pole during his final fight, wherein he compares himself to the bear. 

In speaking of foreshadowing, while Lady Macbeth was sewing in the scene right before Banquo’s death, she briefly hallucinated blood on her hands. Good stuff.

Banquo’s ghost is of the “hallucination visible to the audience” variety, and also covered in a truly impressive and unsettling amount of blood. It’s always good to have the hallucination at least occasionally visible to the audience, because all the versions I’ve seen where the ghost isn’t at least sometimes visible accidentally turn the scene into a comedic one as we watch Macbeth flip out at nothing. 

The special effects on the ghost are of the same early-70s quality as the ones on the dagger. 

Macbeth actually seems to be able to fall asleep in this version after murdering Duncan. 

chapter 13

I FORGOT I WAS DOING THIS LMFAO IM SORRY YALL

duff's like "SO HOW WAS DUNCAN MURDERED" and the rest of homicide is like "bitch its 7 am"

on a MONDAY

me too man

duff's like "yeah homicide is full of shitheads." bestie it will be if you treat them like that

caithness is like "yeah the bodyguards took benzos" and everyone's like "yeah makes sense if you wanna calm down" and duff's like "NO IT DOESNT"

caithness mentions that there's no handprints on the knife - assuming their reflexes were fast

duff's like "i dont trust that but ok"

now they're talking about the fake suicide note and duff's like "yeah this doesnt make a lot of sense"

duff and caithness get into an argument that is less about malcolm's suicide and more about duff's issues

right before it gets good duff gets a call

lady's like "we should dye your hair. people like it when your hair is short and grey" and macbeth's like "NAH"

lady's like "we should have a dinner party :)" and macbeth's like. high as SHIT so

macbeth: we should kill banquo. lady: WHAT

macbeth's like rambling about how banquo probably hates him and fleance probably hates banquo and banquo will tear out his (macbeth's) throat bc banquo's a dog

lady just sitting there like "WHATTTT"

shes like "nooo banquo wont do that" and macbeth's like "YES HE WILL HES GONNA KILL ME."

lady's like "hmmm okay... i dont like them anyways."

honestly lady and macbeth are very sweet <3

oh it's the one eyed kid

he's like "pay me bitch" and duff's like "haha... no :)"

the one eyed kid saw banquo and malcolm oh noooo

the kid's like "yeah its the old dog" and duff's like "BANQUO?" like damn are there no old people?????

kid said ACAB good for him

he's only in this to fuck with hecate because HECATE TOOK HIS EYE?????? FUCKED UP IF TRUE

Some Stuff About The Macbeth Production I Saw:

Modern, but still Shakespearean

The witches communicated with these weird dances

Then they were like “stop munching” to the audience

and there was this kid (an actor) in the front row eating chips

so they pulled him onstage and used their “powers” on him

he just wiggled for a while

MACBETH WAS PLAYED BY A WOMAN! <3

Duncan was too!

There was so much chemistry between Macbeth and Banquo

like they were constantly slapping each other playfully

Even though he’s a minor character, Ross stole my heart

he was a pure ray of sunshine in a play full of murder

Duncan had an eyepatch

she looked like that character from Doctor Who

Duncan hugged Macbeth whilst Banquo was noticeably staring at the audience because he was jealous

but then he got a bigger hug and he was so happy

btw I love Banquo

He was super energetic and bouncy and fun

Lady Macbeth was still played by a woman and she kissed Macbeth as soon as she saw her and honestly it was great

Macbeth, arguing loudly with her life about the murder: “IF WE FAIL?!”

*sudden silence as a servant walks across the stage carrying cake*

Lady Macbeth, resuming the argument: “WE FAIL!”

Banquo gave Fleance a piggyback for like a whole scene?? My heart???

Fleance tried to propose to Macbeth TWICE but she threw him off each time

Ok but Macbeth’s acting was so good after the murder

Super mesmerizing

OMG THE PORTER

The porter was played a woman in the backstage crew uniform

And when she came on all the house lights came on

So everyone started clapping in confusion thinking Act 1 was done

BUT NOPE TURNS OUT IT WAS JUST THE PORTER

She just made fun of people in the audience that was her whole scene

Banquo visibly went from :D to :| when Macbeth was crowned and suspicious Banquo is scary

The murderers pretended to be maintenance people and they put up a “Road closed” sign

so obviously Banquo And Son have to check it out

Then hhhhhhh… hammer to the back… and head

poor banquo.

Did I mention I love Banquo? HE DID NOT DESERVE DEATH

the party was super cool

everyone dressed up in fancy dress

ROSS WAS IN A BEAR COSTUME

oh ross sweetie

they all played musical chairs

but stopped as soon as macbeth lost

Then everyone froze while Macbeth had a little soliloquy

Everyone except The Bear

He creepily pulled the bear head off

and was Banquo!

He chased Macbeth around the table for a bit

Then Macbeth pulled off the head again and it was Ross?

Banquo jumped out of a table

Macbeth threw a balloon at the audience and an old man in the second row hit it back at her

that was the one time macbeth broke character and honestly it got the loudest laugh in the whole show

NOW FOR “ACT 2″

The witches were playing with a load of toys that represented the plot

e.g. toy cones and thor’s hammer from banquo’s death, teddy bear, soldiers, royal dolls, etc.

BANQUO’S GHOST CAME BACK

first of all poor poor ross

He went to visit Lady Macduff and was so lovely to them

It kinda seemed like he was in love with her? But forced himself away because he knew it was wrong? we stan ross

THEN HE HAD TO WATCH HER AND HER CHILDREN DIE

his cries of grief shattered my heart

and then he was terrified bc he thought they’d kill him too

Poor Ross.

I’m gonna admit, I’m not too keen on the character of Macduff

But this one won me over

Maybe because he had this warm, friendly Irish accent

Macbeth used a walkie talkie to scare soldiers on the battlefield

Macduff beat Macbeth using a ladder!

THE END

(oh yeah and ross lived! yay!)

(banquo didn’t tho…)

not to make shakespeare EVEN more gay but... what were banquo and macbeth doing in the forest,,, alone?

this...

also peak irony when it's social support services ya know FOR DISABLED PEOPLE. But I can only call in, or it's pharmacies or my doctor and they never offer an alternative.

unfortunately I do not have the capacity to describe this image right now but if someone else could that would be great. I also have included the link to the original tweet <3

akfnsjds hi we havent talked since the server kinda died but ily and i hope u r doin ok and komahina as macbeth is an INCREDIBLE idea ur brain is huge and i love that <3

hey hey! ty for popping in hope ur doing ok as well :^) 

YEAHHH im so glad u liked it, it’s an idea i kinda idly considered since i love komahina and i love macbeth, but i think the line where lady macbeth, roughly paraphrased here, tells macbeth that he was a man when he agreed to kill the king and that he could be so much More than man if he carried it out...

i think tbh it could really correlate to how komahina both have a lot of ambition and courage but in different ways, and i can envision hinata having very mixed scruples and moralities in this situation while komaeda quickly switches to extremes as a way to persuade hinata. i’m definitely prattling on here but i just think it’s kind of an interesting parallel to draw (i’ve drawn parallels between komaeda-macbeth and hinata-banquo in the past, moreso based on luck and fate and how tied komaeda is to those concepts intrinisically, but i suppose this also does apply just depending on the light you look at it with) 

anyway i’m SO sorry for rambling but hi hello :D hope things r good king

(H) I’m back.

(S) And you’ve been throwing magic around, I can smell it.

(H) Is it normal to glow after something like that? I might have made a few people nervous when it happened.

(S) It was fairly well-done, given the circumstances. You’ll get less sloppy as you keep learning.

(H) Sloppy?! You wrinkled old know-all nuisance—!

All right. Fine. I get it.

...... I think I caught something, when Banquo got through.

(S) Every hound needs a scent trail.

(H) Macbeth needs to recover before we can try anything else.

(S) You cast those runes without thinking, did you notice? That’s exactly the response you need to have in situations like that, same as muscle memory in a battle. As I said, sloppy this time, but you’ll improve. How is your spear-training coming along?

(H) You’re changing the subject.

(S) So?

(H) All right.... I already grew several more inches. I hope the spear stays taller than me, it’d be awkward otherwise.

(S) Ha! I think you don’t need to worry over that unless you’re part giant.

(H) ....Is there a point to you rambling just now or....?

(S) Mind your manners, young Bjornsson. You know very well that there is.

(H) Right. Sorry.

what if I lock Macbeth and Banquo in a room together

In all seriousness, Macbeth's first instinct would be to try breaking the door down. He doesn't take being put in closed spaces well--too used to the open battlefield. Assuming that fails, he and Banquo would probably sit in awkward silence for a little bit before discussing the prophecy/Duncan's rule/whatever's important at the time. Toss in a few drinks, and maybe they'll start rambling about the "good old days" together. Maybe a longing glance here and an embarrassingly sappy remark there.

If it ever got to intimacy, it'd undoubtedly be Banquo who initiates it--he craves what they once had more than Beth does. And assuming Beth gives in to his longing of the past... well. They'd get right back on to what they got up to in the army.

Totally Normal - Thor and Bruce

Should I have been studying for my AP World History exam when I wrote this? Yes. What was I doing? Not studying... 

For those of you who don’t know the premise of Totally Normal it’s a multi-chaptered fic on ao3 that features Peter with the other Avengers as he tries to make them feel super normal for a change. 

Read the entire story on ao3!

…

“Friend Peter, I have a question for you.” Thor announced, walking into the Avengers common room.

“Sure, what’s up?” Peter asked, staring intently at the coffee table. He was hanging upside down from a web while playing a game of Uno Attack with Loki. Thor and Loki had arrived the other day from New Asgard, and for some reason the trickster god had an affinity for Uno.

“Years ago, when we first formed the Avengers, friend Tony called me Shakespeare in the Park.” Thor explained, looking curiously between his brother and the teenager. “But no one will tell me what that means.”

Peter stopped and stared at the god. “You mean that they’ve kept that a secret from you since 2012?” He asked incredulously.

“It’s not that difficult.” Loki commented, placing a +4 on the pile. “Green, oh and Uno.”

“But still? Haven’t you, I don’t know, googled it?” Peter asked, scowling at Loki. He placed a green plus two down and smirked at Loki. Loki grinned slyly back at him as he placed a blue plus two down, winning the game.

“Play again?” Loki asked, teasingly.

Peter rolled his eyes. “I think losing 7 games in a row is enough for me thanks.” He replied sarcastically.

“What is a google?” Thor questioned; his brow creased in confusion.

“You first came to Earth in 2011 and you don’t know what google is? Well, I guess you have been off world for a couple of years and with both FRIDAY and JARVIS you didn’t really need google…” Peter thought out loud.

“Oh, and what did one of those last creatures we fought call you? A blundering oaf?” Loki added, shuffling the Uno cards for no apparent reason.

“Either way, google is a search engine that can tell you pretty much anything.” Peter said, getting back on task.

“So, it could tell me what Shakespeare in the Park is?” Thor asked, Peter’s rambling having thoroughly confused him.

“Well, yeah, but I can tell you that too.” Peter said as though this was obvious. Loki snickered at the exasperated look on Thor’s face. Peter’s eyes widened as he got the not so subtle hint to continue.

“Shakespeare in the Park is a theater program that performs Shakespeare’s plays at an open-air theater in Central Park.” Peter explained, hurriedly.

“And what do I have to do with this Shakespeare fellow?” Thor asked, still confused.

“You talk like him.” Peter stated.

“No, I do not.” Thor protested, indignantly. Peter threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Yes, you do.” Loki countered, looking up from his shuffling.

“If I do, then you do too.” Thor pointed out.

“That brother is where you are wrong. Unlike you, I have become accustomed to the times. I know pop culture references and I am well versed in current pranks. Whereas you still talk like your grandfather, whose statue you decapitated while expertly flying Malekith’s ship.” Loki informed him, going back to shuffling the Uno cards, clearly bored.

“Wait, you decapitated your grandfather?” Peter asked incredulously.

“A statue of him.” Thor answered hurriedly. That didn’t clear Peter’s confusion at all, but he shook it off, not much of what the god said made sense to him and this was nothing different. Then an idea popped into Peter’s head.

“Thor, would you like to see one of the performances put on by Shakespeare in the Park?” Peter asked, interrupting the two brothers.

Thor stopped and considered this for a moment. “Yes, I think I would like to see this Shakespeare fellow and see if we really do talk similarly.” Thor decided, smiling brightly.

Peter opened his mouth to correct him, but Loki just shook his head, clearly trying to convey the message that it just wasn’t worth it. Without speaking Loki began to deal the Uno cards and Peter shrugged, grabbing his pile. He figured that he could at least win one game, right?

…

Peter was wrong. He couldn’t win that Uno game. Or the other after it, or the one after that. Basically, he lost every game against Loki.

But on the bright side, he had gotten Tony to get them tickets to Macbeth. Well, after Tony had complained about Reindeer Games and Pointbreak stealing all his money, and by stealing he meant that he donated a large sum to Shakespeare in the Park because he’s a nice person and got tickets in return. But that’s besides the point.

On the evening of the play the trio made it to the park, Peter wearing pretty much normal clothes, Thor wearing his hair back in a bun with jeans, a grey shirt, and a green jacket, and Loki wearing an entirely black suit.

“You look like a witch again.” Thor commented. Loki stuck his tongue out at Thor childishly in retaliation while Peter laughed.  

Throughout the play Peter laughed and cried. Thor found the entire thing amusing and was confused at Peter’s emotions.

“Why are you crying friend Peter?” Thor asked. “This is a funny part.”

“Thor, Banquo literally just died. He’s such a good person and Macbeth just had him killed in front of his son. How is that happy?” Peter responded incredulously.

“Why it reminds me of a battle- “Thor began before Loki shushed him.

Loki seemed pretty unperturbed during the performance, although Peter could have sworn he saw him grin when Duncan was stabbed.

…

“So, what did you think Thor?” Peter asked as they left the park.

“It was overall quite amusing.” Thor concluded.

Peter stared at him openmouthed, then shut his mouth. “I’m not going to dignify that with a response.”

“I quite enjoyed the trickery.” Loki commented thoughtfully.

Peter rolled his eyes. “Of course, you did.” He said sarcastically. Then he thought for a moment. “Hey Loki, we made it through an entire event without you stabbing Thor!”

“Well…” Loki said slyly. Peter looked over at Thor and saw a knife protruding from his bicep. Thor seemed unbothered by this new development.

“Loki…”

Review: Macbeth, Melbourne Theatre Company

Review: Macbeth, Melbourne Theatre Company 5 stars Previous Next This is Director Simon Phillips’ second Macbeth for the MTC. It ought to be recognised as a great and bold production and celebrated for its quintessentially Australian scepticism towards authority and tradition. It has the potential to guide generations more comfortable with the conventions of cinema into the orbit of both Shakespeare and the theatre respectively. It does so without sacrificing any of the majesty of the original verse, the richness of the themes or quality of the acting. After an enthralling 110 minutes without interval, you’re left with a feeling of sheer enjoyment at having been so entertained. The recruitment of Jai Courtney (Macbeth), of Divergent (2014) and Suicide Squad (2016) fame, was a masterstroke in casting. He’s the latest in the rich vein of Australian exports, such as Russell Crowe and Sam Worthington, who have ridden into Hollywood on the back of their rugged masculinity and natural acting abilities. Courtney perfectly aligned the dramaturgy of the production with what was effectively a Hollywood blockbuster on stage. Such a cinematic production is not a wholly unchartered territory for the MTC. Director Simon Phillips has reprised the tenor of his MTC 2005 King Lear (starring the late Frank Gallacher as Lear) which similarly captured a larger than life aesthetic, with its on-stage waterfall, cars, and motorbikes. One would be mistaken to deride this production for its overwrought Hollywood features, such as Ian McDonald’s score, which was effective but somewhat trite, or to obsessively dwell on the incongruity of Courtney’s unburnished Australian accent with the complexities of Shakespearean verse. Instead, it is instructive to embrace Phillips’s Macbeth on its own terms, informed by an understanding of how it’s communing with other distinctly Australian productions of Macbeth such as Geoffrey Wright’s (2006) and Justin Kerzer’s (2015). Each of these films can be said to have influenced the gritty, sparse and devastated industrial space which Phillips has created. With this understanding in place, one can more fully appreciate Phillips’ deep understanding of the sense of Shakespeare, and the character of Macbeth with all his soldierly limitations. No, this is not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be. This is Macbeth, as Shakespeare would have had him. A brutish and physical soldier-king more comfortable with the imperatives of action than with rambling philosophical deliberations and the decorum and power-politics of the royal court. Shaun Gurton was innovative and quite brilliant as set director. Phillips made much use of Gurton’s revolving stage, which not only facilitated seamless transitions between scenes and acts but also had the effect of creating depth and component parts within individual scenes. The stage rotated clockwise when the fates were working in Macbeth’s favour, and as the play hurtled towards the end of its tragic arc, the stage (as Wheel of Fortune) turned anti-clockwise. Artistically, one of Gurton’s most arresting images was in Act 3, when a dashing Macbeth – in black leather riding boots and with whip in hand – commissions the murders of Banquo and Fleance. Set in an equestrian stable, the audience are confronted with a backdrop of heavy black boxes (resembling coffins) interspersed with roughly ten steel poles standing erect. Two saddles hang on each pole, one stacked over the other with stirrups akimbo. The chilling effect rendered is that of human corpses hanging in the background behind Macbeth and the murderers, foreshadowing the bloodshed to come. This is but one example of Gurton capturing the macabre, tense, and dark nature of the play’s moral universe. Esther Marie Hayes also deserves special tribute for her inspired and detailed efforts as Costume Designer, which were distinguished by the array of textures and colours befitting such a foreboding production. Of note were the elegant dresses and silken jumpsuits of Lady Macbeth, the robust military fatigues of the soldiers, the resplendent royal garb of the nobles, and the grungy black coats and leathers for the homeless – but very Melbourne – three witches. Geraldine Hakewill is a revelation as Lady Macbeth and was enchanting and compelling on stage. From the outset, the audience was every bit as under her spell as was Macbeth, seduced by the lustre of her red silken jumpsuit, her celestial physique and perfect diction. A contemporary of Courtney’s at WAAPA, one could detect the pair’s natural affection and comfortability with each other poured into their roles on stage. The young Hollywood power couple exuded an irresistible physical attraction for one another, and for power. Dan Spielman (Macduff) served brilliantly as an austere and rough foil to Courtney. This was to be expected, given his experience as Macbeth in Bell Shakespeare’s 2012 production. Theatre has an ability to polarize people, especially Shakespeare enthusiasts. This production has certainly done that. It must also be said that theatre can struggle to engage those not familiar with plays, poetry, literature and music. These great swathes of people – old and young – too often become disengaged, and Phillips’s Macbeth represents an excellent bridge for these demographics to immerse themselves in Shakespeare and the theatre. Simon Phillips’s production of Macbeth has the rare ability to transfix all members of the audience for different reasons, whether it be the sublime quality of the set and costumes, the rawness and strength of the acting, or the overall ‘Hollywood’ production values. Inevitably, there are faults to find, but the positives of the production far outweigh its shortcomings. Bravo, MTC. By Alexander Llewelyn of BEAT

Link:http://www.beat.com.au/arts/review-macbeth-melbourne-theatre-company

A Rambling Review of Patrick Stewart's Macbeth, Part 1

In Communist Russia Scotland, Macbeth watches you!

There’s a distinct “Russia During WWII” aesthetic (which contrasts noticeably with all the dialogue about Scotland).

They use a lot of grainy real-world military footage (and Communist-style military executions).

This is the first Macbeth and Banquo I’ve seen who actually struck me as friends. 

The witches in this version pose as creepy nurses. They’re also in the background in the scenes of Macbeth’s castle a lot. And they’re extra-strength creepy in this version. (Also, they kill the wounded Sergeant and cut out his heart). 

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have good chemistry. She also has great dresses. 

All the kids (Fleance and the young Macduffs) are adorable.

Lady Macduff and the young Macduffs have an extended role in this version, as Macduff brings them to Macbeth’s castle with him when he arrives to wake up Duncan. 

In speaking of Duncan, I really liked this Duncan. He seemed genuinely likable. 

The dagger was invisible; Banquo’s ghost makes an appearance in the “in Macbeth’s mind” sense. This makes the banquet scene a bit less unintentionally goofy. 

If you don’t get the Macbeth=Stalin analogy from his mustache, the time period, and the clothing, the posters, video footage of marching soldiers, and mass executions that show up everywhere once he becomes king should make it incredibly obvious. 

Lady Macbeth is quite a bit younger than Macbeth in this version. 

Macbeth orders the Murderers to kill Banquo while aggressively making, and then eating, a sandwich. It’s weird. 

He also talks about the plot to kill Banquo with Lady Macbeth while aggressively dressing himself for the banquet.

Trains are horses, apparently. 

The Third Murderer was not Macbeth in disguise. 

There was a really awkward transition in Act 1. Lady Macbeth finished her epic “Come, you spirits…” speech…..and then we immediately switched to her cleaning the walls in her kitchen.

There’s this one elevator that gets used again and again and AGAIN in this version. 

Also, the Macbeths’ castle looks like my high school.

At the banquet, there’s this guy with glasses (Ross, I think) who keeps trying WAY too hard to act happy. Everyone else is just obviously uncomfortable.

And then, about halfway through the banquet scene, everybody starts dancing to some Russian song for some reason. It’s kind of funny, mainly because it comes from literally nowhere, but….what was the point of that? 

For some reason, after Banquo got murdered and everyone left the train, he just...sort of stood up. I know it was supposed to be his ghost, but it really made it look like we were going to have Zombie Banquo instead of Ghost Banquo.

I liked the implication that Macbeth had bugged the phone in the room where Banquo was soliloquizing about the prophecies. It was a clever update of the idea that he’s spying on everyone. 

Banquo does not sit in Macbeth’s chair in this version, so Lady Macbeth had to say “When all’s done, you look but on the air” instead of “you look but on a stool”. 

Lady Macbeth’s actress is really good. 

Macbeth is soliloquizing while eating food again. 

The gradual deterioration of the Macbeths’ relationship (and sanity) is being done really well.