Macbeth At Derby Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Lindsay Burton

“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” In a country wrecked by war and revolution, a brittle peace has shattered in a drained and damaged land. Upon his return from a victorious battle, Macbeth meets three witches who share an unexpected and ominous prediction that starts a bloody path to tragedy. Driven by a voracious yearning to become more powerful, Macbeth instruments his passage to Kingship by any means possible.
As his status-seeking wife sets the wheels in motion on a blood-soaked path to fulfil the witches’ prediction, he is consumed by a great darkness…

For me, Shakespeare’s Macbeth remains absorbing mainly because of the disturbing uncertainty at its core. One of the most remarkable attributes of the story is the manner William Shakespeare creates Macbeth’s downward spiral into dictatorship, never making it evident whether he is powered by fate or by his own inner shadows. The witches’ foretelling triggers the motion, but it never becomes clear whether they plant the seed of supremacy or purely rouse the desire that was already present but hidden. This leaves me constantly questioning Macbeth’s accountability: was he shaped by dark supernatural forces, or was that darkness within him all along? Not knowing the answer makes the story more powerful and shows that Macbeth isn’t just a stereotypical antagonist but a more complicated and troubling person.
Oliver Alvin-Wilson as Macbeth – the role demanding a strong performer and this actor rises to the challenge effortlessly. He portrayed Macbeth as the man I imagined when first reading the story. Powerful and virtuous and then, almost biblically, gets led down a dangerous and deadly path by the one he loved the most.

Jo Mousley played Lady Macbeth and a wonderful one at that. Her grip on reality slips ever so gracefully and when she lost it completely, she expertly portrays one disturbed by her own actions of murder and deceit.

Cayvan Coates made a great Malcolm – in my head, the version of him in my head was as an older, slightly more experienced man but Cayvan too, made the role his own. Banquo is played by Daniel Poyser was superb and the actor offers a grounded and gripping performance, giving a formidable contrast to Macbeth’s undoing. Livie Dalee, Josie Morley and Deborah Pugh made three fabulous and creepy trio of witches – fabulous coordination with one another and sound and lighting effects on stage. Colin Hurley, Simon Trinder and Benjamin Wilson completed the adult cast and were wonderful and talented and together with the rest of the cast, made the production the success that it is.

I don’t know how I feel about the modernisation of the setting – I quite like the original period and personally prefer it to modern versions of Shakespeare’s greatest works. But that’s my personal preference – I’m sure other people like it and have no preference to the period.

I still rate the play as 5/5 – it was powerful and if you are a fan of Shakespeare, you don’t want to miss this production!
Macbeth is currently on stage at Derby Theatre and will be running until the 18th of April. Tickets start from £15.50 and can be purchased from here.

Rating: 5/5