Macbeth: Rock Concert Style

I watched Macbeth at Fort Canning Hill yesterday. We arrived late and had to figure out how we were going to find a free patch of grass for the 7 of us. We did, we stretched out and waited for the action to begin.



Honestly, it's very difficult to put on a Shakespearean play - more than having a strong directorial vision/concept for how you would like to present the themes of the play, more than having costumes that would visually match the directorial vision - you have to respect the words. It's important to have a good sense of rhythm or the words will just die out in empty fury. Most of the actors left me with the impression that they did not understand the iambic pentameter. I think Macbeth and Macduff stood out with their words being able to echo through the hills and create some tremors in my heart. The rest, well, is best passed over in silence.


The Three Witches toiling and troubling

Still, much credit, goes to the stage designer. The gothic grey building was crisp and stark, so simple, yet it evoked associations of historical images of power - I could see the Parliament House, the ancient Greek pillars, a castle, a majestic tomb - how apt considering the deaths that would be played out on this somber stage. The simple palette allowed the colours to really shine through - the lovely shade of royal blue during King Duncan's reign, to be swiftly changed by the crimson red sea of flags for Macbeth's reign. The stand out scene by far was the Dining Party scene when Macbeth starts to show the public how the guilt and madness within is starting to cripple him. Oh, the sight of the blood soaked Banquo sitting silently in his seat, haunting indeed.

Other than that beautiful tableau, the play was extremely uneven. Still, I appreciated the message: when traitorous men are in power, it is the honest that are treated like traitors.

Singapore theatre, please rock on.