Macbeth - Bard on the Beach

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Review Summary

Arguably the most popular production he'd written in William Shakespeare’s day, Macbeth in a contemporary theatre setting is a bit tricky to stage. Much of the historical political context is irrelevant to a 21st century audience, there are a lot of short scenes back to back, and while extended battle scenes might lend themselves perfectly to a blockbuster action movie, the logistics of staging multiple large scale sword fights on a relatively small stage can be problematic.

​Director Chris Abraham took a minimalist, Elizabethan-esque approach to both the production aesthetics and staging techniques in a way that gave momentum to the majority of the action and wove together potentially disparate scenes in a way that was both evocative and largely cohesive. There were a surprisingly amount of nuanced and deeply felt performances, lower in the usual “broad stroke” acting that I typically see on the larger Vancouver stages.

​Overall the most cohesive, nuanced and atmospheric production of Macbeth I have seen to date. 

Kate Besworth & Ben Carlson, Macbeth (2018) Photo: Tim Matheson

Danielle's personal favourites:
-The witches
-The Porter scene
-The coronation scene
-MacDuff learning of his wife and children
-Macbeth learning of Lady Macbeth’s demise and preparing for battle
-Lady Macbeth’s madness
-The armies plotting amongst the audience
-The beautiful set, costumes and sound effects

Missed the mark for Danielle:
-The banquet scene
-Malcom and Macduff discussing the state of Scotland
-Occasional unnecessarily “shouty” voices

Macbeth runs at Bard on the Beach in Vanier Park, Vancouver, BC until 13 September 2018.

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~  reviewed by Danielle Benzon

We'd love to hear from you:
As a theatre-going member of the public, do you see a lot of (if any) Shakespearean productions? What are your thoughts about period vs contemporary set and costumes? How do you feel about Macbeth in particular? Please share your thoughts on this particular production if you see it.

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