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Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Stratford Festival's much-awaited ‘Macbeth' — with motorcycles and violent gangs — is a feeble letdown
Macbeth 2 stars (out of 4) By William Shakespeare, directed by Robert Lepage. Until Nov. 2 at the Avon Theatre, 99 Downie St., Stratford Ont. or 1800-567-1600 STRATFORD — I shudder when I think about how much money was poured into the Stratford Festival's latest 'Macbeth,' which opened Wednesday at the Avon Theatre. Inside The program of director Robert Lepage's production, created in collaboration with his company Ex Machina, is a four-page insert listing the hundreds of donors who have bankrolled this revival, which will tour to Montreal, Quebec City and Ottawa next year. Indeed, it's an expensive, extravagant and altogether epic endeavour. And yet, this highly anticipated staging amounts to nothing more than a feeble letdown, despite some glimpses of brilliance and its starry cast of Stratford favourites. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Lepage sets his version of the Scottish Play in the context of the Quebec Biker War, a drug-related turf war between two motorcycle gangs that terrorized the city of Montreal for nearly a decade, leaving more than 160 people dead between 1994 and 2002. Ariane Sauvé's set drops the audience into the heart of the action. Its centrepiece is an imposing two-storey motel, frequented by Macbeth (Tom McCamus) and his fellow outlaws, dressed in leather (the costumes are designed by Michael Gianfrancesco) and riding on spiffed-up motorcycles that zoom around the stage. Impressive as this mise-en-scène is, however, Lepage's high-concept and heavily edited treatment feels like it's constantly trying to square a circle. Any attempt to draw parallels between these 'Macbeth' characters and the historical figures involved in the Quebec Biker War only proves futile. Tom McCamus as Macbeth in 'Macbeth.' David Hou/Stratford Festival Is King Duncan (David Collins) supposed to represent former Hells Angels leader Maurice Boucher? Is the story meant to depict the warring factions and hierarchy within a single group — or between two opposing gangs? None of this is entirely clear. Lepage says in his program note that any director leading a production of 'Macbeth' should 'choose a context in which contemporary audiences can better grasp the twists and turns of the intrigue and the psychological complexities of the characters.' But instead of offering clarity, his own concept — as typical of most Shakespeare productions placed in a setting that's based on a real historical event — merely adds more confusion. The most laughably ridiculous moment: when Macduff (Tom Rooney) and his gang of burly biker men start chopping down Birnam Wood to use as 'camouflage' as they stage their final attack on Macbeth. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW If you're able to look past these incongruities, there are bright spots to this production — at times imaginative and cheeky, throwing reverence to the wind. In particular, some of the design elements conceived by Lepage are stunning. Perhaps his greatest coup de theatre comes right at the top of the show: In his prologue, two assassins steer a small boat into the middle of the lake. In it is the traitorous Thane of Cawdor, his head tied up in a gunny sack. The men strap him to a pair of concrete blocks, then push him overboard, setting forth a chain of events that will see Macbeth driven to madness by his own ambition and thirst for power. Later on, Lepage pulls off yet another. I'm loathe to spoil what it is, but it involves a scorching scene transition between Banquo's murder and Macbeth's banquet (depicted here, of course, as a backyard barbecue cookout). There's a cinematic feel to much of this production. (After the prologue, in fact, Lepage projects a series of opening credits onto a screen at the front of the stage.) But in the end, these visual set pieces feel more like self-serving gimmicks, some of which hinder instead of help to serve the story itself. Members of the company in 'Macbeth.' David Hou/Stratford Festival Sauvé's set is so large and unwieldy that the scene transitions, particularly in the first half, take far too long, killing any sense of momentum. Those motorcycles are also so overused that by the fifth or sixth time they're rolled out, I wondered if Lepage was just trying to justify the expense of making them. A poorly conceived production of 'Macbeth' can be redeemed by a strong set of performances. But that's not the case here. Throughout, I rarely got the sense from this ensemble that they're living in a world of hypermasculinity and violence. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW With his deep, sonorous voice, McCamus' rather traditional take on Macbeth is cold and calculating. But though great in the first half of the play, McCamus overdoes his subsequent scenes of madness. Writhing on the floor, like a helpless creature, it feels as though he's playing a caricature of Macbeth rather than the character himself. As Lady Macbeth, Lucy Peacock delivers a performance that's similarly one of diminishing returns. She's terrifyingly domineering and manipulative early on, goading her husband into murdering Duncan and seizing the crown. Peacock's voice, almost maniacal, flirts between complete seriousness and carefree glibness. But Peacock's interpretation of Lady Macbeth's famous sleepwalking scene feels surprisingly dull, with her speech lacking both energy and a coherent through-line on opening night. From front-left: Tom Rooney as Macduff, André Sills as Ross and Austin Eckert as Malcolm with members of the company in 'Macbeth.' David Hou/Stratford Festival Graham Abbey fares far better as Banquo, Macbeth's friend-turned nemesis. But both Collins and Rooney are uncharacteristically stiff and, at times, unintelligible. (The poor sound amplification, and the fact they're all miked, is part of the problem.) Among the bikers, however, it's André Sills and Emilio Vieira who are most convincing, as Ross and Lennox, respectively. Kudos to Maria Vacratsis, as well, who plays the Porter (the motel manager in this version) and milks the laughs with her sexually charged speech in the second act. The witches (played by Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn and Anthony Palermo) are portrayed as a trio of transgender prostitutes and drug addicts, scorned by Macbeth, yet whose prophesies lead to his downfall. This is a fascinating take, but one that I felt could be presented more sensitively. You really could say that about this production as a whole. Brash and bold yet lacking in its finer details, it's proof that no amount of money nor special effects can correct for a misguided vision.
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Robert Lepage's ambitious Macbeth feels like a movie at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre
Title: Macbeth Written by: William Shakespeare Performed by: Tom McCamus, Lucy Peacock, Graham Abbey, Tom Rooney, André Sills, Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn, Anthony Palermo Directed and designed by: Robert Lepage Company: Stratford Festival in collaboration with Ex Machina Venue: Avon Theatre City: Stratford, Ont. Year: Until Nov. 2, 2025 A scruffy gangster slouches in a scuzzy office. On the desk ahead of him rest a few lines of cocaine — perhaps that explains the would-be kingpin's bloodshot eyes, his agitated demeanour. (Though those could also be chalked up to the murders — the bodies and ghosts gumming up his empire.) Set in the late 1990s in a Quebec motel war-torn by biker gangs, Robert Lepage's Macbeth is impressive, to be sure. A two-way mirror centre stage allows for witches (Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn and Anthony Palermo) and spectres to flicker in and out of existence; souped-up e-bikes loudly vroom each time they roll across the stage, their handles gleaming in the dim light of the motel's parking lot; bodies rise and fall through mid-air, seemingly weightless as they float. Prologued by a gripping first scene and cinematic slate of opening credits, it's classic Lepage, and throughout Macbeth you'll likely find yourself asking, 'How the hell did they do that?' (That's a question perhaps best answered by the long opening night program insert thanking the production's donors: Money. Lots of it.) Shakespeare purists shan't be pleased. But Lepage's conceptual reimagining of the tragedy largely works: The play's themes of greed and ruthless ambition translate easily to Canada's gangs, and the introduction of illicit drugs into the Macbeths' marriage adds a chewy layer of conflict to the couple (played by Stratford legends Tom McCamus and Lucy Peacock). But Lepage's filmic Macbeth, despite its ambitious scope, flexes the best of Lepage's design sensibilities at the expense of a more crucial component of the play: the actors. That's not to say Lepage's cast isn't great – unsurprisingly, they are. McCamus – the second protagonist of the season to fixate on 'tomorrow' – peppers Macbeth's descent into madness with acerbic wit and cruelty, leaning into Macbeth's biker environs without feeling like a caricature. Peacock's Lady M, too, is convincing — her 'out, damned spot!' monologue is understated and truthful, more a mutter than a scream. But Macbeth's star-studded ensemble rarely feels like, well, an ensemble. There's a surprising lack of chemistry between the actors – many of whom appeared together in Lepage's 2018 Coriolanus at the Stratford Festival – and even greats such as Graham Abbey (Banquo), Tom Rooney (Macduff) and André Sills (Ross) occasionally feel like set pieces in Lepage's larger vision, talking at rather than to each other amid the visual noise around them. That noise is quite striking, to be fair — a pyrotechnic effect near the top of the production's second half earned a (deserved) mid-show ovation. And Ariane Sauvé's set, composed of huge structures that coalesce into the two-floor motel, would be right at home in a larger theatre. But Macbeth's tech and design take precious time for the stagehands — who got by far the biggest applause on opening night — to manoeuvre. That massive, spinning set groans as it moves, rolled along by backstage workers in conspicuous headsets and theatre blacks. At the moment, the actors seem to be having some trouble navigating the set as it moves, gripping the onstage handholds for dear life. The motorbikes seem to be a bit of a nuisance as well — often, the actors 'riding' them simply waddle across the stage, the bikes awkward and heavy between their legs, their temporary gang tattoos glinting under Kimberly Purtell's spooky lighting design. As well, while Lepage mostly avoids using projections to suggest setting and special effects, the few instances in which he does abandon more analogue design flourishes seem a touch underbaked. A climactic gunfight that sees Macbeth dodge 'bullets' is less effective when projected bullet-holes land squarely on his chest with no impact. It's a minor complaint, but one that somewhat epitomizes the most glaring problem with this Macbeth: Actors, in this production, occasionally seem to be an afterthought. But so what? Thus far, at least, this year's Stratford Festival has offered its sharpest season since the pandemic — over the course of three openings, the fest has managed to redefine a Shakespearean genre, reimagine a classic musical into a raucous three-hour dance fest, and recreate the expansive magic of film on the moderately-sized Avon Theatre stage. This Macbeth, set to be translated into French and toured around Quebec and Ontario next year, wasn't to my taste. But its inventive design and hearty concept might encourage a new sect of theatre fans to check out the Bard — and that's hardly an act in need of bloody revenge.
Hamilton Spectator
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
How do you dress the actors in a biker-themed ‘Macbeth'? With authentic ‘80s and ‘90s leather jackets. Just add blood
Set among the biker wars in Quebec in the 1990s, Robert Lepage's reimagining of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' for the Stratford Festival is swathed in leather. Costume designer Michael Gianfrancesco went deep into the symbolism of the black leather motorcycle jacket. Michael Gianfranceso, costume designer for this year's 'Macbeth,' is also designing for the sunny 'Annie,' a completely opposite visual mood. 'Leather gives the costumes a foundation,' he says. Biker jackets are purpose-built, to safeguard their owners from road rash: 'The jackets are meant to provide protection, with padded and quilted leather it is heavy and robust.' With all the blood in 'Macbeth,' those characters need some protection, too. Biker jackets denote both belonging to a hierarchical group and a sense of the outsider. They give off outlaw rebellion and a ready-for-battle relationship with conflict. And authenticity is key. After extensive period research, Gianfrancesco went out in search of the real thing. He hit Kensington Market, of course, but later struck deadstock gold at a hide house about an hour northwest of Stratford, the Old Mill in Blyth. 'It is 60 years old,' he said. 'With an enormous selection of biker clothing and chaps from the '80s and '90s. It was very gratifying to find the correct style for that time right here in the area.' After sanding and deglazing, the dying and break-down department of the Stratford Festival painted in highlights and lowlights so the leather jackets gleam onstage. In the end, the costume department settled on a mix of new and old pieces, all of which underwent custom distressing for that lived-in, world-weary, tough-guy look. Stratford has a team of artists in the dying and breakdown department who went to work. 'They employed various techniques,' said Gianfrancesco, 'a lot of sanding and deglazing to take the shine off of the leather, and then painting into it to give it highlights and lowlights.' A close-up of period- and play-appropriate custom patches, mixed in with the plaids the costume team used to bring a little Scottish mood into the era of '90s grunge. Next came the symbolic patches. 'We devised a way to create hierarchy within this biker gang that relates to ancient heraldry as well as to contemporary biker gangs.' A lot of the main characters are landowners, he explained: for example, Macduff is the Thane of Fife and among Macbeth's titles is Thane of Cawdor. That translates in the play to the main Cawdor patch: a sunset-hued, winged skull shot through with a sword. 'The patch shows status quickly and easily,' Gianfrancesco said. Thane of Cawdor is one of Macbeth's titles. The patch was designed in house, an ominous skull impaled upon a sword with sunrise angel wings in classic retro biker style. 'The Cawdor logo was created in a font very connected to the look of biker culture,' he added. 'We designed it ourselves, then sent the patches out to an embroidery specialty company.' Applying them is a tricky business, involving taking the insides of the jackets out to get them into special machines, so that part was all done back in-house. The pins and patches had to be specially applied onto the vintage and pre-aged new biker jackets by the Stratford team. Other patches are used to delineate intergang ranks and riches as well as personal preferences (such as a marijuana badge or a collar stuck with horseshoe pins); to tell the story of the characters and their place within the play's world. 'These are elements of iconography that individualize the characters,' Gianfrancesco said. 'The effect is a gang overall, but each costume has distinctive elements that tell the story of the character's place within that world.' The customization also offers clarity for the audience. Snakes and skulls and studs, oh my! The authenticity is in the details for the 'Macbeth' cast costumes. The bijoux department rustled up some bold jewelry, heavy on the '90s stainless steel, said Gianfrancesco, so think skull rings, snake belts, studded boots and lots of chains. Plaid shirting, that grunge-era staple, was a big element of that era's biker look and Gianfrancesco used that to subtly tie back into the Scottish roots of the play. Wigs were another big part of character development, especially for actors who play multiple characters; wigs are an important tool to change up their look. In keeping with the '90s Quebec look, the hair is long, and there are also lots of beards and goatees. Easy rider boots are a mix of vintage and new (made to look old) footwear with on-theme biker stud adornments. Lady Macbeth has a subtle but meaningful transformation via costume. 'She starts off in a pair of jeans and a leather jacket and leather boots,' said Gianfrancesco. 'When she becomes queen, her style elevates a little bit'; she becomes more elegant and wears all black, trading her heavy boots for a more stylish pair with chiselled metal details: sophisticated and expensive. 'She is not drawing too much attention to herself as her character schemes in the story so she remains a little bit discrete. Her hair comes down when she becomes the queen.' Thane is the designation of a nobleman who is given ownership of a chunk of land in exchange for service to the king. This thane jacket shows off other interests of the character in the '90s biker wars, notably cannabis. Full biker leathers are heavy — meant to protect from road rash — so the team had to find ways to lighten the materials for functionality, for the actors to move easily onstage. Then of course, there is the matter of blood. 'There is a lot of blood in this show,' Gianfrancesco said. 'We needed to work out what kind, what it is going to get on and how it is going to wash off.'
Toronto Star
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Inside the Stratford Festival's biker gang-themed ‘Macbeth': there are ‘motorcycles' onstage, leather and tattoos, but it's still Shakespeare
For the actors starring in the play, Robert Lepage's biker setting isn't a gimmick. 'Everything that Robert creates comes out of 'Macbeth,'' says Tom McCamus.
