I spotted this production of Macbeth at Shakespeare North Playhouse back in May, and noting it was directed by Ben Crystal, immediately booked tickets. Ben Crystal is the son of the wonderful David Crystal, the UK’s foremost expert on language and linguistics. Together, father and son have written a number of books on William Shakespeare, with a focus on language and stagecraft, as well as making Shakespeare authentic and accessible.
The first most notable aspect of the production was the stripped back stage, plethora of candles and a cellist. I assumed that the candles would be put out and normal lighting would be deployed. But, no, the entire performance was lit by candlelight, and this was utterly mesmeric. All the actors carried mirrors, lit by candlelight, to illuminate their faces.
The music was odd to start with, lots of scraping and plucking, but more melodic as the play progressed. The cellist adapted her playing to suit the mood of the scene. Hence the scraping and plucking when the three witches were on stage, and gentler music for the early scenes with Macbeth and Banquo. Whilst the cellist was playing throughout the production, the music wasn't intrusive but added to the play's atmosphere.
It took me a couple of minutes to realise that, as well as directing the play, Ben Crystal was playing the title role. He is an absolutely electrifying actor; he owned the stage.
What an absolutely wonderful performance; we felt quite exhausted by the end. Stripped back in terms of scenery and costumes, but not in terms of emotion and intent. We felt every emotion; every change in mood. The scenes between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were thrilling and charged with emotion as their relationship and motivations changed through the play.
Every word was spoken so clearly, every sentence enunciated perfectly. I felt envious of the schoolchildren in the audience. What an amazing first performance of Macbeth, maybe their first Shakespeare play. Certainly after this they won't want to settle for less.
I've always found Macbeth to be a very simple play on one level, but very complex on another. Unlike King Lear and Hamlet, it's a tragedy which is fairly easy to follow. I suspect this is why it is often the first Shakespeare children study; it was my introduction to Shakespeare. But this performance drew out the complexities of the play, of the motivations and character flaws of the characters, and made it as full of complexity and intrigue as King Lear.
I've seen a lot of Shakespeare over the years, many have been brilliant, others less so. This performance was definitely amongst the best I've seen, if not the best. What a fantastic afternoon's entertainment.