Photo - Grant Sparkes-CarrollPredicated on the infamous “curse” of Macbeth whereby various calamities befall those who dare to perform this Shakespeare tragedy, when merely speaking the title aloud in a theatre is considered bad luck, we have here an interesting concept for a new spin on this classic. A production not so much of Macbeth but rather one dramatising the superstition that disaster befalls those who take the play on… or so we are led to believe. The advertising blurb indicates that this will be some kind of subversion of the play, an exploration of the production process and how actors struggle with the misfortunes bred by this most famous of all pieces of theatrical folklore.
If this was actually what we got, it may very well have made for some interesting theatre, but instead the evening launches into a surprisingly straightforward production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth (by typical gimmicky modern standards at any rate) with a relatively conventional treatment of the text without any drastic cuts or substitutions. The ways in which the idea of the theatrical curse are incorporated are quite fleeting by comparison, with the occasional technical effect misfiring or actors tripping and briefly breaking the fourth wall to speak to the director or each other. However, for what was touted as the key concept behind this production, these fleeting accidents seem more like mere glitches in an otherwise fairly normal staging of “the Scottish Play.”
Essentially, Vs Macbeth doesn’t seem to really know what it is trying to be. You would be forgiven for scratching your head and wondering how exactly this is supposed to be a disruption of the original or an investigation of its history adequate to warrant its differentiated title. As any kind of fresh take on the familiar play or a humorous commentary on its supposed curse, it unquestionably fails. The instances touching on the superstitious mishaps are far too infrequent and inconsistent in nature, ranging from the genuinely spectacular such as scenery falling apart to mere slapstick, whilst failing to escalate in any meaningful fashion. Furthermore, these sparsely-distributed moments were performed in such a similarly uneven way as to be at times genuinely convincing (did Brett really hurt his finger?) while at others obviously contrived and played for laughs (Cameron repeatedly failing to “o'erleap” a rostrum).
Confounding one’s expectations isn’t really the chief problem though. Even if you went into this show not knowing what it was promoted to be, you would likely find yourself wondering if this is intended as simply Macbeth but with incongruous little gaffes sprinkled in without any conceptual intent being clearly communicated.
The shame of it is that the core idea could have been quite effective, had the adaptors of the play embraced the curse concept with a little more confidence. One could not help but wish they had approached the play with a more overtly metatheatrical eye, highlighting the behind-the-scenes artifice of theatre more openly such as depicting a dress rehearsal, or perhaps having more interesting disasters occur such as one of the actors being replaced mid-performance due to an “injury”. It would not have even been necessary to inject new lines into Shakespeare’s original text so much as just reworking it in a more intriguing way, as in the excellent Shakespeare’s R & J, which depicts a group of schoolboys secretly acting out the play, banned by their conservative school, in an act of intriguing self-discovery.
As it was, one felt the show was so close to simply being a conventional treatment of Macbeth that by the same token it could just as easily have gone the other way and been more effective as a “normal” staging of the play. It would have been a reasonably good one at that: the stark production design, the use of real paintball guns, live music, some interesting applications of multimedia and quite a few genuinely creepy moments all had the makings for a good rendition of the great supernatural-tinged tragedy.
Indeed, the mostly straight-faced performances seemed to cry out for this kind of treatment. Brett Stiller made for a strong Banquo, Tahki Saul’s dour Macduff had some real emotional kick to it, and Amber McMahon delivered a rather excellent Lady Macbeth (notwithstanding the distraction of her seemingly airbrushed-on jeans), her rendition well worthy of a far more cohesive production. Only Cameron Goodall in the title role seemed a bit at sea, having to enact the majority of the ruptures in the fourth wall amidst an otherwise interestingly overwrought portrayal of Macbeth tumbling towards hysteria. In fact, Goodall’s performance was somewhat emblematic of the play at large (fittingly so, as he was the co-adaptor) – quite good on the whole when taking things seriously, but creaking awkwardly when trying to inject incongruous comedic deviations. Like the play itself, his performance had an uncomfortable quality, something that could not quite settle on its intended identity.
Although not quite the theatrical disaster that it seeks to evoke, Vs Macbeth is nevertheless a good idea that falls flat. Although the impetus for experimentation is to be applauded, what we have in this case is an experiment with intriguing potential that fails to yield a result worthy of its premise.
Sydney Theatre Company and The Border Project present
Vs Macbeth
(most of it) by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Haren
Venue: Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company, Pier 4, Hickson Rd, Walsh Bay
Dates: 18 March – 3 April 2010
Tickets: $25 to $40 (transaction fees may apply)
Bookings: 9250 1777 | www.sydneytheatre.com.au
