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MacBeth from NT Live

    I           saw MacBeth from NT Live. For those who need to know NT is the National Theater of London. They are now broadcasting particular live plays to 26 countries, so that we may have the opportunity to watch great talent at the same time without going to England. It's not limited to Shakespeare. MacBeth was produced in a church in Manchester, so the venue makes for an interesting twist on the play.

         The church does not have a stage. The front apse forms the primary acting arena. The floor is covered with mud. To one side, they make use of the raised area sometimes as a church with candles, and sometimes as an alternate stage so that you don't notice the movement of stagehands in the mud. The famous sleep-walking scene is up above the audience to one side. The spirits open second-story doors in the brick wall across from the candle area. A "fence" is built around the audience seating to avoid mud splashes I suppose. The actors sometimes lean or prop their arms on the fence.

         The fighting is more choreographed than any I've seen in a play. At times, it was like watching a dance troupe. It begins with a long battle scene. The clothes became increasing soiled as the play went on, including the women's dresses.

         It was a loud play. The drums of battle were almost deafening. Then the spirits open the doors with a tremendous thud. Anyone with ear problems started their headaches at that point. The witches were young and shouted every word. Lady MacBeth screeched and howled during her sleepwalking. I heard a number of people complaining about the yelling throughout.

         Mostly, I was taken with the fast pace. There was no stopping to catch-up, no intermission, no scene changes, except out of sight of the camera. It was non-stop action. It was almost as though they were a race to say their lines. MacDuff was more normally paced; when his family died, he went through the motions and, perhaps the only time in the whole production, you could relate and actually "feel" something. The rest of the time, you just struggled to keep up with what was going on.

         Several days later, I heard someone say, "The spirits just weren't what I had in my mind all those years ago in high school." I agreed they were what I expected either. They were young, slim, and moved with agility. Although their faces looked the same color as the mud beneath the feet, you could tell they had nice figures. Their long black dresses were form fitting. We picture old women with bad posture and crooked noses, and maybe a little frumpy.

         Then I thought that maybe that's the director's point. If this is a play about good and evil, then maybe making the spirits young and sexy might evoke more evil imagery. Maybe that's the point of the mud. Even good people with good intentions can make bad decisions. Once those decisions are made, there's no going back, and more bad decisions have to be made to keep going. The mud gets worse. 

         As for the fast pace, when caught up in evil and guilt, it is a race. We don't have any escape or breather. It's constantly with us. Fate forges ahead without rest for the weary. Like the noise, life overwhelms us when we are troubled.

         It is a long time to sit still in a theater, but I enjoyed it. If you have the opportunity to see it in your town, I promise it will give you food for thought.