Macbeth at Wilton’s Music Hall Review

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

Reviewed by Mel Randle

Last night, my daughter (9) and I travelled to Wilton’s Music Hall to watch The Duke’s Theatre Company’s production of Macbeth. Wilton’s is one of my favourite venues as it is the oldest Grand Music Hall in the world so not only offers wonderful shows, but it also allows the audience to enjoy them in the surroundings of an architectural wonder. The theatre is small, intimate and retains many features of the original building and the staging always invites the audience to feel immersed in the show.

This current production of Macbeth is essentially for an open air tour and throughout the summer will be visiting many stately homes and gardens, so we caught it at one of its only indoor performances. I’m going to say straight off, I do feel this adaptation by director Robert Shaw Cameron and designer Jessica Curtis is for die hard Shakespeare fans. I like The Bard as much as the next person and I am very familiar with the story of Macbeth, however what they have created here is more of a psychological insight into the play and as such have, in my opinion, forfeited anything aesthetically pleasing.

The stage is very simple, a series of raised platforms, and what looked like to me scaffolding poles, but the atmosphere was mainly created with dry ice, a lot of it! This I think would be magical in a stately home garden, however, in a small music hall I felt was too much and I did struggle to see some of what was happening. On occasion I felt like I wanted to get on stage and waft it away! It was so dark and dreary, I felt like I was watching action in the trenches of World War 1. It did have a militant contemporary feel so maybe this is the illusion they were trying to create but I found it all too depressing, which is saying something given the play we were watching! The simplicity of the stage did however allow the audience to concentrate on the spoken word, and the action taking place.

The costumes again added to the drabness of the overall experience, and there didn’t seem to be any continuous theme except ‘black’. Some wore work trousers and boots (just needed a toolbelt to complete the plumber look!), others wore body combat gear. The props were very amateur however the blood and guts did entertain us – possible not intentionally – as they appeared to be shredded ribbons of tissue paper.

I said at the beginning, I think this production is for die hard Shakespeare fans, and I think they purposely created all these – what I see as – negatives because they wanted you to concentrate on the wonderful performances of all six actors on stage and the delivery of Shakespeare’s script. However I think they have taken this too far. If you don’t speak Shakespeare’s English and only have limited knowledge of the story, I don’t think there is anything in this performance to keep you gripped. That said, theatre is created to challenge your thinking, so don’t take my word for it, why not go along and make up your own mind!

Rating: 2.5/5

Macbeth is playing at Wilton’s Music Hall until Friday 3rd August before continuing its open air tour.

Ticket prices: £12.50 – £26.00 full price | £10 – £23.50 concessions

For more information and to book, visit wiltons.org.uk