In order to fully explore the seemingly bottomless murky depths of Macbeth, directors can often opt for a slow and ponderous approach, but this isn’t the path that director Alex Nicholls has chosen for Wild Goose Theatre’s current open-air production of ‘The Scottish Play’ at Oxford’s Castle Prison. READ ABOUT IT HERE
‘the three witches rap their ‘Where shall we three meet again?’ lines at a furious lick’
Instead, I felt refreshingly wrong-footed from the beginning as the three witches rap their ‘Where shall we three meet again?’ lines at a furious lick. And those witches: Gretel Kahn, Natalia Davies and Emily Davies – three raddled old hags? Not a bit of it; rather, it’s more youthful, sulky, ice-cold strutting in black and blood-red capes and shiny, clicking shoes, as they beguile their victim, Macbeth.
Significantly, these three actors also play ladies-in-waiting in their same witches’ costumes, as if to subtly suggest an ongoing, ominous and haunting presence hanging over the power-hungry couple at the centre of it all.
Craig Finlay, in WW1 uniform, gives us a very loud, distraught and at times apoplectic Macbeth, and particularly convinces during the ‘Is-this-a-dagger?’ and Banquo’s-ghost scenes. After the slaying of King Duncan, his hands and face become covered in blood which in later scenes, from my close-range advantage-point, he hasn’t been able to completely scrub away. It’s a small detail but an impressive one.
‘Lady Macbeth – the true star of the play – is sympathetically interpreted by Rachel Twyford as she turns from murderous accomplice into childlike victim’
Billy Morton plays in turn, a suitably loyal living-Banquo and then a silently seething Banquo’s Ghost. Lady Macbeth – the true star of the play (discuss) – is sympathetically interpreted by Rachel Twyford as she turns from murderous accomplice into childlike victim. Again, note the fine detail: she begins the play dressed in black and makes her final sad exit in a night-gown of pure white.
After all this toil and trouble, a suitably heroic Macduff and Malcom (Richard Hardingham and Joel Watson respectively) step up to break us out of the ‘murder-madness-more murder’ doom-loop, and there is an excitingly realistic fist fight between Macbeth and Macduff where scores are settled. As good-guy Malcom snatches back the crown, it is more in relief than in jubilation.
‘There is a voice-only appearance from one Donald J Trump. how appropriate, considering Macbeth’s themes of treachery and deceit’
This then, is a full-throttle take on Shakespeare’s darkest play with lots of screams, bangs, blood and, wait-for-it, a surreal, voice-only appearance from one Donald J Trump. How absurd! And yet, how appropriate, considering Macbeth‘s themes of treachery and deceit. It’s yet another nice little directorial touch – the devil, Wild Goose Theatre keep reminding us, is in the detail.
Edward Bliss
Macbeth at Oxford Castle & Prison runs from July 6-August 1. Book here https://www.oxfordcastleprison.co.uk/whats-on/wild-goose-theatre-presents-macbeth-at-oxford-castle-prison/
