116 posts
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Post by alexandra on Oct 8, 2021 8:00:19 GMT
It was ok. All the men do a lot of ferociously loud Acting, which is a bit wearying, especially in the Almeida, but I suppose it was designed for its future west end audience. Ronan’s lower key delivery is a good contrast, but misses any real depth. I couldn’t see much point in the visual effect near the end (which appeared to start and then stop randomly), except to make a pretty tableau out of Ronan and her white dress. Moving one of the weird sisters’ speeches to the end and the final image felt laboured, not revelatory. Maybe I wasn’t in the mood. I enjoyed the kids.
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Post by Forrest on Oct 8, 2021 8:01:15 GMT
I enjoyed this quite a lot, but didn't love it. In a nutshell, I wanted more moral and mental demise, less action, and this is very action-packed. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so will put the remaining comments in as a spoiler, even though we all know the plot. {Spoiler - click to view} I thought the cast were very good, if slightly borderlining on "delivering the dramatic Shakespeare" at times (I thought about how Robert Icke would cringe a little in some moments), the aesthetic of it very appealing, the music was a wonderful touch and it all worked well in the intimate space of the Almeida. However, I wasn't so keen on some of the choices Farber made. E.g., there was a lot of fighting - which at moments looked slightly awkwardly choreographed (good fights are so hard to do on stage, but clumsy fights can be such a mood killer for me) - and the whole production felt very macho, but the male characters didn't get to display much depth. Also, I thought the most interesting part of the play, for me (and I know this is hugely subjective), both of the Macbeths crumbling under the weight of their heinous plan, didn't get enough space: I would have loved to see a more elaborate descent into madness from McArdle in particular. Not to say that he was not very good - he was, he is a terrific actor, and perfectly able to play the part - but I felt he didn't quite get the chance to present the nuances of his character's torment. I was also surprised, given that the production was advertised as having a focus on Lady Macbeth, with the little stage time, and proportional relevance, that Ronan got, although when she was present I do think she was very good. londonpostie may be on to something regarding the why. There was a scene I really disliked - the dinner party - which seemed to step into self-parody terrain, and I thought this was rather unnecessary and out of sync with the rest of the production. Also, while it did look pretty, at times the stage seemed so busy with props (which was particularly noticeable during scene changes) that I thought some simplicity would be preferable. But again, that might just be me, I'm a minimalist at heart. Overall, it was enjoyable, and I am really glad I got to see it, but it's not a production I will remember for long. Part of me felt that Farber was "ticking the boxes" to provide the kind of spectacle she may have thought the audience would be expecting due to the starry cast, which was fine, but perhaps lacked a bit of "character" for me. |
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Post by londonpostie on Oct 8, 2021 11:52:19 GMT
I've got a different starting point for this; it's interesting when you have a talented actress who hasn't done Shakespeare before at all (no drama school to force her!), who is playing a mature married woman for the first time in her career, on the London stage for the first time aaaaaaand isn't third player in Hamlet or third witch in Macbeth but takes on the role of ... Lady Macbeth. Quite the challenge then for her and, it turns out, for the director and production. fwiw, I liked Yael Farber's aesthetic very much. Otherwise, I'm going to think on this ...
On reflection, it's still in preview. Hope to see it again later in the run.
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 8, 2021 23:05:23 GMT
I watched it tonight and I quite enjoyed it. It was better than I expected and much much better than all the three productions we got in 2018.
**Spoiler alert **
It's pretty much a revival of two halves, with the first act (ending with Banquo's assassination) struggling to find pacing and style, while the second act is much tighter and more cohesive. Generally, I think that Yael Faber's bag of tricks works only the first time you watch one of her shows and then gets very tiring. Some of her usual gimmicks are still here (I'm thinking of the wailing woman), but on the whole the direction, although a bit heavy-handed, works quite well, especially in act 2.
The "feminist" turn we heard about in interviews is not a real thing, and the gender and power dynamics are pretty much the same as any other Macbeth – James McArdle might be full of remorse, but he's not particularly submissive. They gave an interesting tiny twist to Lady M in act 2, in which she tries to prevent Lady Macduff & the kids' murder. It might not be the most coherent decision, but from an emotional point of view it is quite striking: the blood she cannot wash from her hands is not that of the people she wanted to die, but of those she failed to save. This decision makes sense within the production because it quietly drives attention to the Macbeths' childlessness. This is done tastefully and it is a very nice touch imho.
The second act works mostly really well: the banquet scene is easily the highlight of the evening, and that is followed by the witches' masque & the Macduff family murder. Then it drags a little in the scene in which Macduff Sr is reunited with Malcolm (which could be easily cut), but then finds again pacing as it rushes towards the end. I thought the final duel was a bit long, but not noticeably so. Also, I really liked the witches and the final image is quite striking (although borrowed from the 2015 movie). On the whole, the acting is good without being extraordinary, but the Macbeths have great chemistry and work well together.
If you look at this revival as an event with a sold-out run and a four-time Oscar-nominated star you might find it slightly disappointing, but in itself it's a fine production that surpassed my expectations. Atm it's a 3 and a half star production that with some tweaking could become 4 by opening night.
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2,480 posts
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Post by zahidf on Oct 12, 2021 9:54:42 GMT
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 12, 2021 10:08:12 GMT
Just seen I the office and realising don't have bank card with me. I wonder if they're limiting live stream tickets and price. Any members who'll get on earlier please feel free to share.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Oct 12, 2021 10:09:18 GMT
Oh ignore me, if I'd only bothered to read the whole page answers my questions
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Post by vickyg on Oct 12, 2021 10:54:02 GMT
I saw this last night and it was the first (of three) Macbeths that I have got any enjoyment from. I loved the cello music throughout (much less so the singing) and, in contrast to couldileaveyou, I loved the first half and found that a fair bit of the second half dragged a little bit. One thing that is a little niche, is that I'm not very good at recognising people and each male actor had at least one other man who looked almost identical to him (to me, anyway), shaggy hair and a beard being the order of the day. This made it very difficult for me to remember/recognise who everyone was! I agree that I didn't notice any difference in Macbeth's/Lady Macbeth's roles that would make this a feminist retelling. All in all, very pleased that I saw it and that I now have hope that Macbeth might actually be a play for me! |
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 12, 2021 11:02:34 GMT
One thing that is a little niche, is that I'm not very good at recognising people and each male actor had at least one other man who looked almost identical to him (to me, anyway), shaggy hair and a beard being the order of the day. This made it very difficult for me to remember/recognise who everyone was! yes, absolutely. Banquo, Macduff and Ross looked identical. At the beginning of Lady Macduff's final scene I was 100% sure that Ross was Macduff and I was so confused because I thought he was supposed to be in England by then. |
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Post by londonpostie on Oct 12, 2021 14:52:09 GMT
Generally, any thoughts on the clothes rail on wheels/occasional mirror?
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2,743 posts
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Post by n1david on Oct 12, 2021 15:05:39 GMT
Generally, any thoughts on the clothes rail on wheels/occasional mirror? Initially I thought it might be Covid protection for a vulnerable William Gault... |
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1,861 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Oct 12, 2021 22:53:25 GMT
At its core there is a decent Macbeth with strong performance from the Macbeth’s.
It is let down by the pacing which is way too slow, 1hr 20m to the banquet even though a significant part of the murderous night was cut, there were a few times where it added tension but on the whole my attention started to drift as the pace more or less crawled to a halt in places.
The closing montage for me was the most strikingly different aspect of the production as it acknowledges the Banquo prophecy which sits unresolved as Malcolm takes the throne.
On the glass screens, my interpretation was that they indicated the wall Macbeth built between himself and the other characters as he plotted or acknowledged their demise until they were no longer required once the monster had consumed him and his conscience was no more.
On the whole glad I got to see it only tinged with the disappointment that it was good and not great production, it could be if the pacing was just that little bit faster and for me the removal of the scene hinted above is something I hope other productions do as for me it spoils the flow and is maybe one of the most of its time Shakespeare scenes.
Hope they use warm water as one of the characters spends a long time wet.
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jay
Auditioning
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Post by jay on Oct 13, 2021 21:46:23 GMT
Macbeth is one of Shakespeares shortest plays ( 2477 lines) compared to Hamlet ( 4024 lines). The great thing about the play is its pace. the action should hurtle along at a lick - thats why its thrilling - the characters are caught up in a whirlwind of activity which drives towards its climax. Removing speed from the play with a turgid snails-pace is to exhibit a startling misunderstanding of how the piece is constructed. Or its an attempt to stamp a 'look at me' directorial reading of the play which this director has a long history of.
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Post by Forrest on Oct 15, 2021 12:46:28 GMT
For anyone who hasn't seen them yet, Marc Brenner's photos of the production really make it look even a tiny bit prettier than it actually is, gorgeous! (And I did think it was pretty...) http://instagr.am/p/CVC2Zd3IWiH |
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2,848 posts
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Post by couldileaveyou on Oct 15, 2021 13:10:26 GMT
It got pretty good reviews, even some 5* ones! Variety was unimpressed, The Intipended loved it, and The Guardian, The Stage, Evening Standard & The Telegraph gave it 4*. I wonder if they are thinking about transferring it somewhere? it looks like the kind of production that ends up at BAM of St Ann's Warehouse in NY. The cast must be very busy so it's probably not easy to organize.
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37 posts
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Post by theatreman on Oct 17, 2021 0:34:53 GMT
2 front row tickets for Monday 18 October available at their website right now.
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Post by jaffe on Oct 17, 2021 20:41:37 GMT
It got pretty good reviews, even some 5* ones! Variety was unimpressed, The Intipended loved it, and The Guardian, The Stage, Evening Standard & The Telegraph gave it 4*. I wonder if they are thinking about transferring it somewhere? it looks like the kind of production that ends up at BAM of St Ann's Warehouse in NY. The cast must be very busy so it's probably not easy to organize. Daniel Craig is already playing Macbeth, next March, on Broadway. |
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898 posts
Member is Online
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Post by bordeaux on Oct 17, 2021 20:50:58 GMT
It got pretty good reviews, even some 5* ones! Variety was unimpressed, The Intipended loved it, and The Guardian, The Stage, Evening Standard & The Telegraph gave it 4*. I wonder if they are thinking about transferring it somewhere? it looks like the kind of production that ends up at BAM of St Ann's Warehouse in NY. The cast must be very busy so it's probably not easy to organize. Daniel Craig is already playing Macbeth, next March, on Broadway. Ah, well perhaps a transfer to the Harold Pinter then... |
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Post by Jan on Oct 18, 2021 6:39:25 GMT
It got pretty good reviews, even some 5* ones! Variety was unimpressed, The Intipended loved it, and The Guardian, The Stage, Evening Standard & The Telegraph gave it 4*. I wonder if they are thinking about transferring it somewhere? it looks like the kind of production that ends up at BAM of St Ann's Warehouse in NY. The cast must be very busy so it's probably not easy to organize. Daniel Craig is already playing Macbeth, next March, on Broadway. Who is directing ? That's almost more important. |
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Post by cirque on Oct 18, 2021 7:30:49 GMT
Sam Gold
Oh for the RSC to bring in leading directors…..
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1,828 posts
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Post by Dave B on Oct 18, 2021 8:01:55 GMT
We saw this on Saturday afternoon.
Due to our early morning plans going a bit awry, we ended up at the theatre quite early. A little before Saorise Ronan arrived on her bike, signed for a couple of people had quick chats with various FOH and a couple of punters and then wandered back stage. A short time later James McArdle was at the bar and was amused to see him pay for his own coffee and sandwich. While we didn't hang around afterwards, it certainly seemed like at last some of the cast were expected out to the lobby to talk to people - the Almeida seems to be keeping the quite causal vibe going.
Anyways, we loved it. The Almedia has this thing about 'partially restricted seats' which have what must be the smallest supporting pillar in any theatre I can think of and end up with almost no restrictions at all that a slight lean of the head once or twice an act doesn't get over. So fab seats in what was the third row, but just next to the often used ramps, so mere centimeters from the action at points - and without being in the splash zone!
Aside from the main two, Ross Anderson as Banquo, Emun Elliott as MacDuff and Akiya Henry as Lady MacDuff were stellar. That's not to say that the rest of the cast were not as the quality throughout shines but they really caught the eye.
Very tempted to try for seats again when the last dates go on sale later this week.
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Post by Jan on Oct 18, 2021 10:53:02 GMT
Sam Gold Oh for the RSC to bring in leading directors….. Or leading actors - their last Macbeth had to approach them himself to get things moving, I think the director came with him too. |
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529 posts
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Post by jampot on Oct 20, 2021 9:46:48 GMT
I've been cancelled a second time and already on my way for tonight's show..more cast illness.. (non covid)
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Post by cavocado on Oct 20, 2021 12:04:34 GMT
I've been cancelled a second time and already on my way for tonight's show..more cast illness.. (non covid) Oh no, sorry to hear that. At least it's happened before the rest of the tickets go on sale tomorrow, so hope they can exchange. |
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Post by Dave B on Oct 21, 2021 8:46:29 GMT
12pm today for the final set of public ticket releases.
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