Review: Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe

Macbeth
Shakespeare's Globe
Reviewed on Sunday 7th July 2013

There has been no shortage of high profile Macbeth productions this year. Back in February I attended press night of Jamie Lloyd's futuristic production of Macbeth which opened his Trafalgar Transformed season at Trafalgar Studios and Kenneth Branagh is currently co-directing and starring in a production at the Manchester International Festival. However, no production could be as atmospheric and as special as Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe theatre.

The use of live music throughout the production is hauntingly powerful and helps to break up long sections of text. Shakespeare's plays are long but this production of Macbeth has a good pace and only drags in a few places. The show runs for two and a half hours, with a considerably longer first half. 

Joseph Millson is faced with the daunting challenge of portraying Macbeth, and he does so superbly. He delves into Macbeth, exposing many different layers of the character including a slightly humorous side which was interesting to see. However, Samantha Spiro (pictured right) steals the show as Lady Macbeth. The intensity of her performance is utterly captivating. Every single word she says is spoken with a great amount of depth and meaning. She simply understands the character and conveys Lady Macbeth's emotional turmoil to the audience faultlessly.

It would be impossible for me not to compare this production to Jamie Lloyd's futuristic production which ran at Trafalgar Studios earlier this year. Even though this production is less adventurous, I much prefer it. The show thrives on the element of magic which the three witches (played brilliantly by Cat Simmons, Moyo Akandé & Jess Murphy) bring to the piece. They often appear around the theatre, looking down on the action. The cast, especially Samantha Spiro and Joseph Millson, take more risks and uncover various sides to their roles.

Credit must go to Fight Director Kevin McCurdy whose fight sequences are highly impressive. Choreography of fight scenes isn't something which usually stands out for me but the fight sequences featured in this production are slick and smooth and and had me sitting on the edge of my seat (well, bench). I loved the upbeat grand finale which saw the cast reunited on stage, dancing and (most importantly) smiling together. This left me feeling truly inspired and concluded the evening nicely as Macbeth is a dark and gruesome play meaning it would be very easy to leave the audience feeling tired and depressed. 

Mike Britton's simplistic design gently aids the performance. Much is left to the imagination which, again, adds to the magic of the experience. Regardless of your age or background, if you love Shakespeare and want to see a well performed production of Macbeth you simply must see Macbeth at the Globe. It is an experience you will never forget.

Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)

andrew@westendframe.com

Macbeth runs at Shakespeare's Globe until Sunday 13th October 2013.
Please visit www.shakespearesglobe.com for further information and tickets.

Photo Credit 1: Ellie Kurttz
Photo Credit 2: Manuel Harlan

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