The Tragedy of Macbeth – Southwark Playhouse

Covered in mud and dirt, we see all cast members on stage as we enter the theatre. The stage is bare, with percussion instruments set up at the back. The performers are clad in beige tank tops and long skirts that look like sack cloth. Their presence creates an ambience in the room; you can feel it in the air, here a tragedy will take place. As we walk in, the theatre staff gives us a warning that the performance will be quite loud. When the show begins, the sound of the drums reverberates in the space generating an immediate sensory impact.

The Tragedy of Macbeth is Flabbergast Theatre’s first narrative production of Flabbergast Theatre. The production is supported by Arts Council England and was researched and developed at the forest base of the Grotowski Institute in Brezinka, Wroclaw, Poland.  Directed by Henry Maynard, the show is dramatic, immersive, and interactive. The performance incorporates a range of techniques, from clowning, puppetry, and immersive theatre to the use of folk music, harmonised singing, and drumming. These techniques in a unique sensory way the mayhem, guilt, and psychosis experienced by Macbeth played by Henry Maynard) and Lady Macbeth (played by Briony O’Callaghan). Dale Wylde plays the role of the porter impeccably, bringing comic relief and engaging physical performance to the role. He interacted with the audience, engaging us, thus producing new energy in the space and bringing some comic relief at the end of the first half. While this bit was definitely an audience favourite, I found that it impacted the momentum of the performance since it felt quite detached from the rest of the scenes of the play. The character of Malcolm (played by Kyll Anthony Thomas Cole) remains underdeveloped, and I longed to see more of the performer in this production. The witches (played by Vyte Garriga and Paulina Krzeczkowska) are eerie and commanding, however they play multiple roles, which may be difficult to follow for those who are new to Macbeth.

All performers bring identifiable and distinct physicality to their characters which lends to a wonderful addition to the play text. The performance does a good job at keeping some popular and crucial monologues, making most audience members sit up in their seats with excitement.

As we leave our seats, we walk along the stage marked by paint, wine, dust, and clay. Macbeth’s handprints, wine stains, and streaks of mud and dirt remind us of the tragedy we witnessed. In the bar and café area, the fine arts collaboration, done by artist Marina Renee-Cemmick as a way of documenting performances through drawing, is exhibited. The paintings evoked the energy and dynamism of the performance and revealed images, intentions, and creative processes behind the characters as well.  The performance continued to exist around us through these art works making the café a wonderful place to discuss the play with friends and family. This production is an experience that audiences of all ages would enjoy, and the exhibition of the art collaboration makes an evening at the theatre feel that much more complete.

Reinventing this classic tragedy of Shakespeare is a daunting task yet Flabbergast theatre has staged a performance that brings new feeling to the play through its simplicity of staging and diversity of performance techniques. However, the delivery of their dialogue was often incomprehensible, and despite captivating performances, the production fails to add anything new to this tragic tale. It leaves fans of Shakespeare wanting more, lacks clear and cohesive story telling for new audiences.

Playing until 8th April 2023, https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/macbeth/

Reviewer: Anisha Anantpurkar

Reviewed: 16th March 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★