Macbeth (An Undoing) Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh 15th May 2024 Review
Macbeth (An Undoing) is at the Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh for a limited run (14-25 May) and if you like your Shakespeare to be both “shaken and stirred” then this is one show not to miss.
I reviewed the original production of this work when it was at the Lyceum Theatre in February 2023 and since then it has gone on to win much praise and many awards for its originality and ability to re-imagine one of the most famous but underwritten characters of all time, Lady Macbeth. In some ways, Lady Macbeth should be the name of this work as the focus of ambition and power shifts from male to female, along with its perspective of so many other important elements in the original Shakespeare work.
Nearly all of the original cast are here in this production, and all of the principal cast have reprised their roles here and they so often seem to have found very subtle little nuances in their performances of these so well-known characters that bring them even more to life this time on-stage and, as last time, a lot of that is due to just how well Zinnie Harris re-imagined and wrote this work.
At a little under three hours performance time (including an interval), Macbeth (An Undoing) is a demanding work of theatre for everyone on-stage, but particularly Lady Macbeth (Nicole Cooper) and Macbeth (Adam Best) and both were outstanding in their performances tonight. If you are a drama student, then try and get along to this production as this is simply how to do the job, how to perform your craft before a live audience.
Nicole Cooper is obviously enjoying every moment of the very demanding role of Lady Macbeth on-stage and her ability to convincingly portray the many different and constantly changing facets of her character from a woman of strength and ambition to one of fragility of both body and mind is impressive. Adam Best as Macbeth also gives a performance that makes you truly believe in the many demons that are now afflicting his mind and body.
All too often in history (and still today), women like Lady Macbeth are simply mad or bad, or both, but here we have in the place of this stereotype a real human being in the Lady Macbeth as imagined by Zinnie Harris and an explanation of why one of the most famous women in theatrical history is originally seen so little in the story and when she is seen changes so much. In this story, that peculiar notion that ambition for power in a man is seen as both strong and desirable but in a woman, something that is scheming and manipulative is exposed for what it has always been – a lie.
The use of the three witches/weird women here also raises many new questions. Were they even supernatural beings or simply women who were wronged (interestingly by another woman)?
Liz Kettle is an actor who has the ability to stand out on-stage no matter what role she is playing and tonight her performance was no different. Whether that be introducing this work, as one of the weird women/witches or the much put upon servant Carlin, Liz Kettle always draws you into wanting to hear her next spoken word.
This re-telling of Macbeth is very much a story full of strong women, and Emmanuella Cole as Lady Macduff takes full advantage of many moments here to be more than a match for Lady Macbeth when required.
There are no weak performances here and setting the whole work in a non-definable time period was, for this production, a wise move that is enhanced by at times minimalist but always interesting set design by Tom Piper. The soundscape of this Macbeth, in particular the sound of birds, is as much a part of this story as the spoken word, and sound designer Pippa Murphy deserves a special mention here. So too do lighting designer Lizzie Powell and composer Oguz Kaplangi.
Cast
Nicole Cooper Lady Macbeth
Adam Best Macbeth
James Robinson Banquo
Emmanuella Cole Lady Macduff
Liz Kettle Carlin
Star Penders Missy
Taqi Nazeer Bloody Soldier / Lennox
Thierry Mabonga Macduff / Doctor
Laurie Scott Ross / Murderer 1
Marc Mackinnon Duncan / Murderer 2
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com
I reviewed the original production of this work when it was at the Lyceum Theatre in February 2023 and since then it has gone on to win much praise and many awards for its originality and ability to re-imagine one of the most famous but underwritten characters of all time, Lady Macbeth. In some ways, Lady Macbeth should be the name of this work as the focus of ambition and power shifts from male to female, along with its perspective of so many other important elements in the original Shakespeare work.
Nearly all of the original cast are here in this production, and all of the principal cast have reprised their roles here and they so often seem to have found very subtle little nuances in their performances of these so well-known characters that bring them even more to life this time on-stage and, as last time, a lot of that is due to just how well Zinnie Harris re-imagined and wrote this work.
At a little under three hours performance time (including an interval), Macbeth (An Undoing) is a demanding work of theatre for everyone on-stage, but particularly Lady Macbeth (Nicole Cooper) and Macbeth (Adam Best) and both were outstanding in their performances tonight. If you are a drama student, then try and get along to this production as this is simply how to do the job, how to perform your craft before a live audience.
Nicole Cooper is obviously enjoying every moment of the very demanding role of Lady Macbeth on-stage and her ability to convincingly portray the many different and constantly changing facets of her character from a woman of strength and ambition to one of fragility of both body and mind is impressive. Adam Best as Macbeth also gives a performance that makes you truly believe in the many demons that are now afflicting his mind and body.
All too often in history (and still today), women like Lady Macbeth are simply mad or bad, or both, but here we have in the place of this stereotype a real human being in the Lady Macbeth as imagined by Zinnie Harris and an explanation of why one of the most famous women in theatrical history is originally seen so little in the story and when she is seen changes so much. In this story, that peculiar notion that ambition for power in a man is seen as both strong and desirable but in a woman, something that is scheming and manipulative is exposed for what it has always been – a lie.
The use of the three witches/weird women here also raises many new questions. Were they even supernatural beings or simply women who were wronged (interestingly by another woman)?
Liz Kettle is an actor who has the ability to stand out on-stage no matter what role she is playing and tonight her performance was no different. Whether that be introducing this work, as one of the weird women/witches or the much put upon servant Carlin, Liz Kettle always draws you into wanting to hear her next spoken word.
This re-telling of Macbeth is very much a story full of strong women, and Emmanuella Cole as Lady Macduff takes full advantage of many moments here to be more than a match for Lady Macbeth when required.
There are no weak performances here and setting the whole work in a non-definable time period was, for this production, a wise move that is enhanced by at times minimalist but always interesting set design by Tom Piper. The soundscape of this Macbeth, in particular the sound of birds, is as much a part of this story as the spoken word, and sound designer Pippa Murphy deserves a special mention here. So too do lighting designer Lizzie Powell and composer Oguz Kaplangi.
Cast
Nicole Cooper Lady Macbeth
Adam Best Macbeth
James Robinson Banquo
Emmanuella Cole Lady Macduff
Liz Kettle Carlin
Star Penders Missy
Taqi Nazeer Bloody Soldier / Lennox
Thierry Mabonga Macduff / Doctor
Laurie Scott Ross / Murderer 1
Marc Mackinnon Duncan / Murderer 2
Review by Tom King © 2024
www.artsreviewsedinburgh.com