Sometimes you see a piece of theatre and it just blows you away. This production was inventive, audacious and stunningly theatrical. Theatrical seems an odd thing to write in a theatre review. Surely all theatre is theatrical. Yet, the fashion these days is to shun theatricality, to underplay, to minimise. Thankfully, the directors of this play were not afraid to create a spectacle.
Fittingly, for a play where bewitchment is central to the plot, they created magic in a very small space. From the start, there was dynamism, vivacity, verve and brio which grabbed the attention. And it did not let up. There was a briskness to the direction which gave the play its vim and vigour. It was so compelling that you could not take your eyes off the action.
It was co-directed by Amy Gavin and Hannah Ellis Ryan, and you could see they had a very bold vision in mind. It was not just the fact that this is an all-female and non-binary production of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. In one respect, that is the least interesting thing about the production. The sheer energy and imagination on display were the most impressive things on offer.
Elaine McNicol, as Macbeth, was dazzling. This was a spectacular performance. I think it is one of the greatest executions of the role I have ever seen. She was fierce yet vulnerable, fiery yet fearful, loving yet diabolical. It takes an actor of great skill and courage to pull off such a well-known role with such alacrity. I was mesmerised, she had such fire in her belly, it reminded me of someone, and then it came to me, Mhari Black, the firebrand ex-MP for the SNP, who is sadly now no longer in Westminster.
Lady Macbeth was played with wonderful intensity by Frankie Lipman. There was power here, yet there were some admirable, subtle touches and an impressive range of voices. The gender dynamic between man and wife was given an interesting twist here. Yet, nothing was lost from the strength of Shakespeare’s writing. If anything, it was brought into sharper focus. Madness is common in Shakespeare, and her mad scene was brought off with panache.
At the start of the play, we see a baby ripped from a screaming woman. There was some original poetry at this point written by Hannah Ellis Ryan, Nikki Mailer and Amy Gavin. It is brave to write something into Shakespeare, but it worked, and it fitted in with the rest of the play. This is Macduff’s story, and it makes what is quite a weak bit of plotting by old W.S. more realistic.
Ciara Tansey as Macduff was sublime. She gave the character solidity, sense, and passion. What was most impressive, though, was not just that we had a three-dimensional character. She had that special ability, not given to many actors, in that you can see behind the eyes. That is, you could see what she was thinking. You felt this was a real person, and that is a remarkable skill.
I wish I had the space to go through all the actors, but I must make special mention of Miranda Parker, who performed the Porter scene with the right amount of sprightliness. She has a phenomenal stage presence. There wasn’t a weak performance amongst an incredibly committed cast.
Mention must also go to the costume designers Zoey Barnes and Dulcie Good for the cleverly androgynous costumes. Also, the sound designer, Hannah Bracegirdle, deserves a mention for the highly effective and spine-tingling music. Although the most forceful and direct sound effects came from a drum on stage.
I can’t praise this production highly enough, and it continues at the Hope Mill Theatre until 29th June – https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/event/macbeth/ It will then be on at the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, on the 2nd and 3rd July – https://www.thelbt.org/what-s-on/drama/macbeth/
Reviewer: Adam Williams
Reviewed: 18th June 2025
North West End UK Rating: