Macbeth is being staged at Shakespeare North Playhouse until Saturday October 3
Director Ben Crystal in the title role of Macbeth at the Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot(Image: Patch Dolan)
Four hundred and twenty years after the first-recorded performance of Macbeth, Shakespeare North Playhouse has launched a new production of ‘the Scottish play’, one of The Bard’s darkest tragedies.
On a dark, rainy night in Prescot, it’s clear the play still resonates with audiences, captivated by the themes of ambition and morality, and its invitation to consider the following question – how far are we willing to go in the pursuit of power, and at what cost?
Watching Macbeth descend into madness is to observe a man who traded in his peace of mind for grubby ambition, happy to have taken the life of a rival, but entirely unaware of the strain it would have on his own wellbeing, realising too late the devastating consequences he had brought to bear, “Methought I heard a voice cry ‘Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep’, the innocent sleep.”
It is a line which points to the psychological unravelling of the title character, and foreshadows the deep psychological torment, paranoia, and chronic insomnia which plague both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as they deal with the fallout from the murder of King Duncan.
The new production is directed by Ben Crystal, who also takes the title role of Macbeth, a dramatist who specialises in ‘Quick-Raising Shakespeare’, an attempt to mirror the demands placed on The Bard’s own company, which turned around new plays at a rate rarely seen in modern mainstream theatre.
In terms of Crystal’s latest production, the company spent three weeks together before opening night, and a lot of that time was spent training and talking rather than conventional rehearsing.
The actors are encouraged to improvise, shape, and refine their performances each night, meaning every show is likely to feature subtle changes, making each unique in its own way.
The set is dimly lit, illuminated only by candles, some of which are carried by the actors, bringing focus to their facial expressions as the tragedy unfolds, and a conceit which takes no small amount of technical skill to pull off.
Candles are also fixed into wooden light fittings, suspended from the rafters, moving up and down depending on the demands of the scene, making for a truly affecting sensory experience.
It also creates a creeping sense of claustrophobia, exacerbated by the score and musical accompaniments of Liverpool-born composer Semay Wu who introduces a range of earthy sounds that are jolting, jarring, and unnerving.
The significant developments are all staged well, including Macbeth and Banquo’s first encounters with the sisters, the slaughter of Macduff’s family and especially Lady Macbeth’s descent into despair.
It is a largely sincere and faithful retelling of Shakespeare’s story, and contrasts with more modern reimagining’s of the work, but that’s not a criticism. In the beautifully-crafted Shakespeare North Playhouse, it feels like a production very much made for the space, and certainly makes the most of it.
It is a stripped down, and very accessible, production of a challenging work and would serve new audiences well, as well as those with a love for Shakespearian tragedies.
