The centre and power of Boyd’s concept is in focusing on the plays moral dilemma – on what murder does to the soul, of its corruption and of the demands of heaven and hell – if in Hamlet these concerns lead to hesitation, in Macbeth we see what happens when you don’t hesitate, when the doubt steps in only afterwards – and in both plays purgatory lurks in the background. Boyd firmly roots the play in its religious and, particularly, Catholic framework. The set itself - a crumbling church, statues scattered about the set and windows gaping and empty rebuilt during the interval, can’t fail to suggest the reformation and this idea of the warring churches reflects back the warring Scottish tribes and Macbeth’s own internal battles throughout. This idea is explored in both small and large ways, though one of my favourites is the presentation of Ross (an excellent Scott Handy) as a priest. As a character he is always slightly separate from the action, stood back in judgement and here it fits perfectly. I can’t wait to see it again and see if he has any interaction with Jamie Beamish.
Which is as good a place as any to discuss how I adore what they have done with the role of the Porter. The Porter’s scene has always seemed like something of a difficulty for me, possibly a needed release of tension after the King’s murder, but also an uncomfortable comedy that never quite works given it’s surroundings. With Beamish the role is transformed, they have doubled the Porter with the small character of Seyton and in him have produced something much bigger – he has become Satan himself. There is something intensely unsettling about his first appearance, eyes subtly wrong, mouth smeared with blood, loud, brash, and both tempting and menacing. It’s a superb performance. The tension isn’t released at all but cranked steadily upwards, with him breaking down the walls between the audience and setting fireworks at intervals around the stage. For us, the tension was only broken, briefly when the fireworks final detonation caused a girl in a school party to scream, letting free a wave of nervous laughter. But the release is temporary as for the rest of the play he stalks the stage, looking down on the action. If Ross is standing as God’s representative on earth, Seyton has been sent from below to guard the very gates of hell – a small, simple door set at the back of the stage. (It’s very Being Human).
That door itself becomes a powerful presence during the play, one I didn’t really notice until Macbeth stumbled from it covered in Duncan’s blood. Perhaps it wasn’t used until that point, another thing to watch for during my revisit. After that it became hard to ignore, it threatened and beckoned and haunted and tempted as much as any of the actors. It was the door the Porter emerged from in all his hellish glory and it is the door characters left through as they died. In one of the most memorable scenes, one I’m sure I will come back to in this review, Macduff learning of his wife and children’s murder was drawn to the door, despair driving him towards it until his desire for revenge and his resolve hardened and made him turn away again. Even at the end the door retains its power, Malcolm emerges from it bloody and bruised, as if he has been to hell and back (forged in the fires of hell). He is followed, later for his coronation, by his father in pristine white robes the only clean thing on the filthy stage. It is a moment of redemption, of divine work, the dead have been revenged and spread peacefully from the stage leaving the Porter and Macbeth alone to consider the door.
The dead remain a constant presence, there are times when the stage is crowded with them – they are a burden on the guilty and the innocent. Banquo remains as an avenging figure, a protector; whilst Lady Macduff and the children follow Macduff into battle – it is not only Macbeth that is haunted. This is an idea also explored in the use of three children as the three witches. This seems to be a major area of dissatisfaction for many, especially as much of the “witches” dialogue is cut (though a lot of it’s attribution to Shakespeare has cause for doubt anyway). Although I found occasionally the young performers lacked diction and I was unable to make out what they were saying, overall it really worked for me. It was chilling, the screams of the children as they ran through leaving you on edge and a moment when I spotted them stood around Banquo as statues and peering through windows genuinely made me shudder. Plus the idea was instrumental in my favourite sequence, the murder of the Macduff’s which I have already touched upon above. From the moment you recognise the children, to the arrival of the murderers, to the silent attack and the horrifying moment as the girl was led off – it was an unforgettable, haunting scene. It was also beautifully undercut by the deep rousing music of the three cellos, which worked incredibly throughout, against the otherwise exceptionally empty, almost bleak sound scape.
All of which places this firmly in my top productions of the year, but it wasn’t without flaws – I wasn’t sure of the decision to drop the dolls from the ceiling; some moments could have been held longer, Macbeth’s entrance for example; and given the exceptional conception and use of space I was frustrated when the idea was muddied by Macbeth and his court being lowered from above. Though these small doubts didn’t reduce my overall enjoyment of the piece. Nor did my lack of familiarity with Boyd’s Histories, given there are obvious conceptual links between the productions.
Alongside the clever ideas, the emotional power of the piece and the beautiful production elements – there were also fantastic performances. As well as Jamie Beamish and Scott Handy, I was also very impressed by Steve Toussaint (Banquo), Aidan Kelly (Macduff), Aislín Mcguckin (Lady Macbeth) and a warlike Caroline Martin (Lady Macduff). Jonathan Slinger, however, is clearly and deservedly the star of the piece, with a blinding performance – his understanding of Macbeth’s emotional journey is impressive and matched with a wonderful clarity between his public and private personas. Even his toes were mesmerising, giving his emotions away when nothing else did. It was a truly superb performance, in an absolutely wonderful production.
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