Macbeth
From opening moments that have the unwary jumping out of their skins, to the inescapable conclusion, this Macbeth manages two opposing things: firstly to rip the audience out of the here and now and drag us in to its drama; and second, to allow time for reflection and realisation that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Whether it's Macbeth, Mugabe, Marcos or Milosevic, a good man is only as good as the clay from which his feet are made. And the only sure thing is that no matter how exalted the man becomes, the feet always turn out to be clay in the end.
In John Bell's production, as well as battlefield mud, there's sex, blood and lust in the air as Macbeth returns, victorious from a little local skirmish, to his waiting Lady. Power is the greatest aphrodisiac, as Henry Kissinger once observed, and Linda Cropper's Lady Macbeth - all flashing eyes, eager anticipation and flaring nostrils - knows power when she smells it. And Sean O'Shea's febrile, feline Thane of Glamis is a Macbeth to savour as sweat, adrenaline and easy ruthlessness mingle in the heady stench of their dawning realisation of the possibility of absolute power.
This portrait of a marriage brought undone by murder and blind ambition is simply told, pared back to essentials and powerful in the extreme. Cropper and O'Shea are a passionate pair: in love with each other and their exalted position in the precarious pecking order of Scottish warlords. Their mutual attraction is pure narcissism: they see invincibility and inevitability reflected in each other and their menace as a duo is palpable.
These elements and the actors' awareness of them make Macbeth's disintegration - as he is gradually revealed as fearful and weak - a vision almost as terrible as the ghosts of his conscience and nightmares. And it makes Lady Macbeth's descent into raging despair and madness all the more potent and plausible. Such disappointment, having anticipated the world laid out at her feet for the taking, would be hard to bear.
The Macbeths' rise and fall - so fast and so far - is vividly portrayed by these two in John Bell’s fast-moving production. It's set in a decaying semi-industrial wasteland, with the Witches as bag ladies. The stink of cordite and fear hanging in the air is repellently, tragically, fascinating. Any questions as to why Shakespeare's violent tragedy of murder, marriage and mayhem remains so popular with audiences are quickly dispelled by the resonances that connect it with the everyday tales of hubris - and the consequences of it that surround us.
The Macbeth company is the traditional Bell mix of experience and youth with David Whitney making a contribution of heartbreaking and memorable humanity as MacDuff and Leon Cain (Sydney Theatre Award winner - Best Newcomer, 2006 in Away) confirming his promise as one of the Witches - a truly Weird Sister as well as Young MacDuff and Fleance.
Michelle Doake (Lady MacDuff/Witch), Robert Alexander (King Duncan/Doctor) and Richard Sydenham (Banquo) illustrate the depth of the ensemble while the rest of the cast are more or less solid and a reminder of the immeasurable value the Bell Shakespeare experience is for an actor. The set design and lighting by Jacob Nash and Matt Scott, are masterly and effective (the show has to travel to 31 different locations on its national tour) while the costumes - your basic dishevelled military chic will only become more dishevelled and funky as the months go by.
Now in its 17th year, Bell Shakespeare Company becomes more relevant and essential as it grows, changes and prospers. This Macbeth is part of that process and is to be savoured.
Macbeth, Playhouse Theatre, Sydney Opera House to April 14 then touring nationally until Glen Street Theatre, Belrose, August 14-25; more info: www.bellshakespeare.com.au
