The Scottish Play Review
The Scottish Play
Reviewed by Samantha MacKenzie
It sounds so grown up, I went to see 'The Scottish Play' by Shakespeare. It is of course bad luck to say the name of it, especially as my other half does insist on the Blackadder retort of "Hot potato, orchestra stalls, Puck will make amends. Owwwwww" as often as he can!
The production at the Octagon is minimalistic, but not lacking anything. The theatre is more of a mini arena style, and they really used the space to its fullest. The Wyrd Sisters dramatically lurking off stage amongst the audience really punctuated the performance.
Everything supporting the actors worked perfectly, all quite minimal but all flawless. The lighting emphasised the mood of each scene.
The highlight was the Porter, the gatekeeper of MacBeth's castle, and his drunken soliloquy. MacBeth (Robert Cavanagh) himself was also very strong, as were the whole cast.
I, like most people, remember MacBeth from school, and haven't really interacted with it since, seeing a Shakespeare on a Saturday night is not the norm for me. Saying that, it was surprisingly romantic, it really got us talking.
The venue itself is intimate and one I would visit again. This production was flawless and intense.
For more information or to book your tickets visit: www.octagonbolton.co.uk