Macbeth

Perhaps this is why the witches are rarely seen but certainly heard in the Donmar Warehouse production of Macbeth, starring the multi-talented David Tennant and Cush Jumbo.

In this production every member of the audience is given binaural stereo headphones, and the actors are closely miked to create a 3D soundscape that transports the audience into the action. The headphones allow them to hear the actors' voices, including whispers, and other sounds. Through the magic of film, I could hear every word without them.

Max Webster’s production, which runs under two hours, brilliantly understands the play’s relentless momentum culminating Macbeth’s haughty fall. Cush Jumbo’s Lady Macbeth becomes the shred of conscience that her husband gradually discards. She is magnificent in the sleepwalking scene, her cries are heart rending.

The expressionist staging makes excellent use of  choreography, light and sound. Rosanna Vize gives us a bare black-and-white set, black box style with the audience seated on three sides of the action. The stage is a simple white floor with no set or props. On the back wall, however, are four large glass panels. For most of the play we see a  three-piece band sitting, and at other moments full scenes are fought behind the glass.

Tom Oldman’s costumes are minimal upon first glance. All of the characters are dressed in shades of grey and black, all with classical Scottish kilts. However, Lady Macbeth stands alone, dressed in white, the colour symbolic of purity.

Bruno Poet’s lighting sends shaft of light piercing the darkness and highlights the waiting cast, along with musicians, lined up in the glass box at the back of the set, their heads floating in darkness. In other scenes they bang the on glass and press their faces against it.

Gareth Fry’s soundscape frequently reaches us from beyond the stage. Disembodied battle cries, the voices of the witches, who only appear as smoke, or music, drift in and out or assaults the senses.

David Tennant is riveting as Macbeth. As he gains power, he relishes being a despot, but as the bodies pile up, and he misunderstands the witches’ prophesy as immortality, he becomes a god who worships only himself. It is refreshing to hear Tennant using his native Scottish accent.

Cush Jumbo is the perfect foil to Macbeth’s ego. Her transition from a close conspirator to someone who has lost her mind is outstanding. She is cold and calculating as his partner in crime, yet she is believably pure and virtuous in front of the other characters.

The ensemble is a strength in this production. There is an abundance of choreographed group work, including lifts. We see them crawling on all fours at the back of the stage, climbing over the sides, slowly advancing on Macbeth, whispering lines all the while. We also see them behind the glass panels at the back of the stage, standing in a line, banging on the glass without voices, much like Macbeth’s inner torment.

On a side note, it is refreshing to see the abundance of talented children in the cast adding depth to their adult fellow actors.

While Macbeth is essentially a serious play, this production is interspersed with moments of comedy primarily breaking the fourth wall and audience interaction. My only reservation is the minimalism of the set, props and costumes. While the acting is superb, I missed the richness and grandeur accompanying royalty and their courts.

Macbeth is stylish and stark, dark and brooding. It relies on the talent of the cast, particularly David Tennant and Cush Jumbo who do not disappoint. It is a deep pithy rendering of one of the Bard’s greatest works and definitely a compelling watch!

Barry Hill OAM

Images by Marc Brenner