Macbeth at the Buxton Opera House Review
Macbeth
Buxton Opera House
10 March 2015
Reviewed by Cathy Porteus
The Scottish play has been performed so many times, that it may be difficult to imagine how to show the story in a novel manner. This production manages to do so, by mixing the traditional words and characters with a British Asian family and accompanying costumes, occasional dancing and rhythms.
A drummer remained on stage throughout the play and filled the theatre with beats and whooshes. This was amazingly effective at marrying the iambic pentameters of Shakespeare’s verse with the Bollywood style of the staging. This was one of the key parts of this version of Macbeth for me and really worked to make the show stand out from the ordinary.
The other key Asian influence was in the trio of witches, played in this case by three Hijras – a third gender recognised in India and a tradition dating back thousands of years. They make the cackling and chanting seem believable and they bring in a little menace, as required by the supernatural element in this tale. I thought this was inspired characterisation, the Hijras worked well as witches – outlandish outsiders who prophesy fame and fortune, you could really imagine Macbeth trusting their tales, well at least when they fit in with his ambitions.
A small cast meant that several actors were playing multiple parts. At time this was confusing, particularly when the same actor seemed to be playing all of the younger generation. He ran away to England, reappeared as a younger child, was killed, came back to life and eventually triumphed over Macbeth with his conquering army. Deven Modha played the parts well and I enjoyed watching him display the different characters, however I find it a bit tricky to keep track of the many similar male characters anyhow in this play, having the same actor in similar parts meant I had to concentrate hard to follow the plot. Fortunately I remembered much of the story from learning Macbeth at school, which helped me keep up.
Macbeth himself was beautifully performed by Robert Mountford. He was believable in his conviction that he was meant to be king and his self-justification turning into near madness came over well. In particular, his speech after his wife’s demise sounded fresh and true, despite the words being so well known to many of us.
Buxton Opera House is a great venue for all types of show. We had an excellent view from the circle and could hear every word clearly. There were plenty of helpful volunteers staffing the theatre, serving fairly priced drinks and icecreams at the interval. The Opera House is a beautiful old building, kept in a splendid state of repair, which must take a huge amount of work. The paintings and guilding add to the sense of occasion, which helps to make going to the theatre such a pleasure.
The Opera House is just a short walk from Buxton station and there is some on road parking near to the venue, which is free after 6pm.
Rating: 5/5 
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN | 0845 127 2190
