Latest news with #ScottishPlay
Daily Record
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
New role for Outlander star Sam Heughan as Macbeth for Royal Shakespeare Company
The actor will appear alongside Lia Williams, who will play Lady Macbeth, at The Other Place theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Outlander star Sam Heughan is to take on the role of Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Dumfries and Galloway -born actor will take on the title role as he makes his debut performance with the company. He will appear alongside Olivier and Tony award-nominated Lia Williams, who will play the role of Lady Macbeth. The Scottish Play will be performed at The Other Place theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon – birthplace of play write William Shakespeare. Sam said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number two'(essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' Sam was born in Balmcelallan and attended Glenkens Playgroup and Kells Primary before moving to Edinburgh with his mum in 1991. He has played Jamie Fraser in the hit US show Outlander for more than a decade. He has also appeared in River City, The Spy Who Dumped Me and The Couple Next Door. And fans will be able to see him in Macbeth at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6.
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.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Costumes from Hollywood adaptation to feature in Macbeth exhibition
Costumes worn by Hollywood stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard in a big screen adaptation of the classic William Shakespeare play Macbeth are set to go on public display for the first time in Scotland. Outfits worn by the actors in their respective roles as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in the 2015 adaptation directed by Justin Kurzel will feature in an exhibition celebrating the bard's Scottish Play at Perth Museum. The costumes, by Oscar-winning designer Jacqueline Durran, will be shown alongside a First Folio of Shakespeare's plays from the National Library of Scotland and a sword dating from the 11th century – the same century the majority of the events of Macbeth are set in. Other items on show include the historic Clach na Bratach stone from Clan Donnachaidh, the descendants of the real King Duncan I who was killed in a battle against Macbeth in 1040, and Charlotte Rose's painting Dagger Of The Mind which explores mortality in the Shakespeare play and the tobacco industry. Curators say the objects will provide a new and potent perspective to the Stone of Destiny, which is already on permanent display at Perth Museum and upon which the real Macbeth is believed to have been crowned. Ashleigh Hibbins, head of audiences and engagement at Culture Perth and Kinross, said: 'We cannot wait to surprise and captivate visitors with this unique opportunity to dive into Macbeth the man, the play, and its cultural impact across the centuries. 'From Hollywood films to Broadway and West End shows, to classrooms around the world, Macbeth continues to resonate with us across the centuries. ' Perthshire is the location for many iconic scenes in the play, so what better place than Perth Museum to explore this legendary Scottish figure?'
New York Times
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Macbeth in Stride' Review: A Leap and Stumble Into a Classic
'You gon' rework a 400-year-old play just for your ego?' asks one of three witches in the new show 'Macbeth in Stride.' Whitney White, who stars as Lady Macbeth in this quasi-feminist concert reimagining of Shakespeare's Scottish Play, smugly responds: 'Yup. Sure did! Sure did!' I don't fault 'Macbeth in Stride,' which opened last Tuesday at BAM's Harvey Theater, for its ego. We can always use work exploring what it means for a woman to proudly assert herself, to show her agency, to dare to grasp at power in spaces where she is meant to be secondary to a man. In this show, the artist invites us to see her through the role of Lady Macbeth, breaking the fourth wall to bring us into her process of recreating a character from one of the most frequently produced and remade works of English literature. But 'Macbeth in Stride' is more ego than execution, more gestures than statements. And White's heroine is much less substantial than the very character she's critiquing and reworking in her own image. White, who wrote and performs this piece, is one of the city's essential director-performers and is having an extended moment on New York stages this spring. Throughout her career she has focused on directing works by and about women and Black artists, including Bess Wohl, James Ijames and Aleshea Harris. In this work, White is centered as a kind-of Lady Macbeth (she's just called 'Woman' in the script) who's a glam queen, a lead singer in a black bodysuit. She's on a concert stage with a live band (the effortlessly talented Bobby Etienne on bass; Barbara Duncan, a.k.a. Muzikaldunk, on drums; and Kenny Rosario-Pugh on guitar), and those three witches (played by Phoenix Best, Holli' Conway and Ciara Alyse Harris) are her backup singers and commentators. The main medium here is song, and 'Macbeth in Stride' is an almost perilously eclectic mix of genres. The first song, 'If Knowledge Is Power,' features the show's music director and conductor, Nygel D. Robinson, on piano singing with glossy John Legend-style vocals. The melody suggests something lush and romantic, like a nocturne, but when the witches join in, they evoke the TLC days of 1990s R&B, with matching dance moves courtesy of Raja Feather Kelly. From there the score abruptly shifts between classic rock, soul and gospel. It is exciting for its unpredictability but is borderline incoherent. The lyrics land as either too trivial or too glib ('Who's the man?' / 'I'm the man.' / 'Yes you are' sing the Macbeths to each other, not facetiously enough). The vocal talents of the witchy trio are impressive, almost overshadowing White's, but White holds her own in the featured role. Charlie Thurston, as the 'Man' who plays this show's Macbeth, however, has much less to offer in range, timbre and presence. The set, with its visible scaffolding and runway-style elevated walkways and platforms, creates the appearance of a stadium concert stage. (Scenic design is by Dan Soule.) Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew's vibrant, ever-shifting lighting helps provide structure to the show's movements, which otherwise bleed together. And with the exception of Lady Macbeth's lustrous gold floor-length coat and opulent crown, the costume design, by Qween Jean, is as muddled as much of the show's other elements; Lady Macbeth's disco diva look is distractingly at odds with Macbeth's edgy leather-wearing style and the witches' knot-and-fringe ensembles. Part of 'Macbeth in Stride' seems to imagine itself a kind of close read of the material through a contemporary lens, but the show uncomfortably shuttles in and out of Shakespeare's scenes and dialogue. The result is that Shakespeare's lines are lifeless while the modern plainspeak feels false. And as for the read of the material, there's not much novelty to the show's analysis of Lady Macbeth. Which is a letdown — for all of White's cosplaying as a more self-aware metatextual version of the doomed queen, this Lady Macbeth is all style and little substance. But what's most disappointing is that the show doesn't do more than superficially call out the artist's lens as a Black woman, a modern woman, a theatermaker. The Woman introduces 'Macbeth' as the play that 'kicked it all off,' got her through tough times and framed her thinking of herself, but the script doesn't commit to unpacking the personal dimension of this character. 'What happens when a Black woman's only way up is by violent means?' the Woman asks at some point. I'd certainly like to know. By the end of the show we're left with no upshot other than a general affirmation of girl power. So 'Macbeth in Stride' feels like a work still very much in progress, a project still squaring itself with its intentions. 'Rebuilding the system is hard and so is reworking a play,' says one witch. 'Don't know if we will ever be able to do it.' As the production currently stands, her concerns are well-founded.
