Review: Macbeth (Wilton's Music Hall / UK Tour)

Review by Sophie Wilby

⭐️⭐️

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a chilling tale of ambition, fate, and moral decay. After a trio of witches foretells that he will one day be king, Macbeth is driven to murder and tyranny, spurred on by supernatural forces and his equally ambitious wife. As guilt and paranoia begin to consume them both, their grasp on power spirals into chaos. This summer, The Duke’s Theatre Company brings this tragedy to audiences across the UK in a bold open-air production, currently making a stop at London’s Wilton’s Music Hall. Though the play’s themes of corruption and downfall remain unfortunately timeless, how well does a production designed for castle grounds and open lawns translate to London’s oldest surviving music hall?

The set is designed with a series of black platforms of various levels which worked well to make the stage feel large and create a sense of space. Less effective, however, was the use of scaffolding poles, painted red, which cluttered the stage. Though it did look quite visually striking, I struggled to see what such a design really added to the production - Macbeth takes place in forests and castles nestled within the Scottish highlands, and yet the use of the poles made it feel almost brutalist, as though it were a barren, dystopian wasteland. For the most part, the poles are simply there to adorn the stage, but they are used to some effect at the climax of the play as they illustrate the marching of Birnam Wood (although this does come at a cost of drowning out some of the dialogue). Poles were also used in place of swords as weapons, which might have been more effective if they weren’t being used as though they were swords, but the jabbing of blunt poles served only to take the edge out of the more dramatic scenes. Similarly, utilising torn red ribbons to mimic blood felt a little distracting, particularly in the pivotal scene between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth following the murder of Duncan when the excess of string ‘blood’ felt almost comical. 

This brutalist feeling was supported by the costuming, the majority of which was very dark,  with armour represented by army vests, again creating this dystopian, military feel. A sleeping bag-like duffle coat was used to represent Macbeth’s transition into a king, but where there was little variety in colour or style, it all blended into one. This also made it a little confusing when the cast of 7 adopted various roles throughout the production, with small details like a beanie hat being used to differentiate between two roles played by the same actor. Combined, the setting and costuming just left me feeling a little confused and uncertain as to where or when we were supposed to be. More effective was the design of the witches, given a truly creepy and inhuman makeover, draped in a bold red that was effective against the black of the stage. 

As the production is designed to be performed in the open air, elements of it were less effective in the enclosed space of Wilton’s Music Hall. Though it does feel a suitable venue with its feeling of former grandeur, at times, some of the actors, who are perhaps used to needing to project their voice in the open air, were difficult to understand as they delivered their lines at full, shout-y volume. Excessive use of a smoke machine, intended to enhance the dank, moody setting, instead resulted in actors being rendered almost invisible at times. Lighting and music levels also seemed unbalanced, particularly noticeable during Malcom’s (William Marr) concluding lines, which were almost entirely drowned out by an ethereal witches’ song. The witches themselves were also difficult to hear as they competed against sound effects and reverb which, although atmospheric, just detracted from the true eeriness of their words. 

Despite these challenges, there were certainly moments where members of the cast shone. Of particular note was Jenni Walker as Lady Macduff, whose clear enunciation was perhaps the strongest of the cast. Similarly noteworthy was Alasdair James McLaughlin’s Macduff, particularly in his portrayal of grief, used to fuel his anger. Perhaps most crucially, Finnbar Hayman’s Macbeth is an imposing one, and his chemistry with Marilyn Nnadebe as a particularly villainous and menacing Lady Macbeth is electric, making the two a very believable antagonistic couple. 

Though perhaps it did not translate well to the indoor space, I can imagine that the experience of witnessing Macbeth in the open air beside a grand estate would be very different, and may help to resolve several of the production issues faced at Wilton’s Music Hall. If this summer, you want to experience Shakespeare beyond the more light-hearted comedies that are typical of summer programming, then The Duke’s Theatre Company would certainly be a unique experience. 

Macbeth continues to tour until September 30th

For tickets and information visit https://www.thedukestheatrecompany.co.uk/book-now

Photos from the outdoor staging at Fairlight Hall