MACBETH - CLASS ACT
Sun, 29 June 2003, 02:46 amDmac9 posts in thread
MACBETH - CLASS ACT
Sun, 29 June 2003, 02:46 amWhen: Preview 27 June 2003.
Where: Rechabites Hall.
I have been reluctant to post reviews, as I usually know one or two of the cast members in any production I see, (donÂ’t see many due imperatives of earning a living, children etc.) but plead exception in this case, and your indulgence, as I will not comment directly on the performances of those cast members I know well.
Of the ten or so productions of Shakespeare I have seen in my life most have been taxing on the intellect, and the bladder, including BellÂ’s productions. This is the most rewarding I have ever seen.
Mike McCallÂ’s MacBeth was powerful, and vulnerable, all menÂ’s ambitions and fears exorcised, and the chemistry with Angelique MalcolmÂ’s Lady MacBeth almost tactile (I was in the front row). There was not one weak link in the most seamless play I have ever seen in Perth.
I must give special mention to Steve Turner’s Malcolm. Learning of his father’s murder, his line “O, by whom?” punched me in the chest with the tragedy, pathos. I felt the guilt, as if I were bearing the news of the death of a loved one.
I had some small quibbles with the lighting and, as usual, male voices must work twice as hard as female voices in the Rechabites space to be heard, but I left as a very satisfied punter.
See it.
If you do and disagree, or think my review impartial, listen carefully; I do not care.
Dean McAskil
Thou mangled clay-brained haggard!
Where: Rechabites Hall.
I have been reluctant to post reviews, as I usually know one or two of the cast members in any production I see, (donÂ’t see many due imperatives of earning a living, children etc.) but plead exception in this case, and your indulgence, as I will not comment directly on the performances of those cast members I know well.
Of the ten or so productions of Shakespeare I have seen in my life most have been taxing on the intellect, and the bladder, including BellÂ’s productions. This is the most rewarding I have ever seen.
Mike McCallÂ’s MacBeth was powerful, and vulnerable, all menÂ’s ambitions and fears exorcised, and the chemistry with Angelique MalcolmÂ’s Lady MacBeth almost tactile (I was in the front row). There was not one weak link in the most seamless play I have ever seen in Perth.
I must give special mention to Steve Turner’s Malcolm. Learning of his father’s murder, his line “O, by whom?” punched me in the chest with the tragedy, pathos. I felt the guilt, as if I were bearing the news of the death of a loved one.
I had some small quibbles with the lighting and, as usual, male voices must work twice as hard as female voices in the Rechabites space to be heard, but I left as a very satisfied punter.
See it.
If you do and disagree, or think my review impartial, listen carefully; I do not care.
Dean McAskil
Thou mangled clay-brained haggard!
Re: MACBETH - CLASS ACT
Sat, 5 July 2003, 06:13 pmWalter Plinge
Hmmm.
I saw Macbeth on Thursday, at the 12 noon matinee. Kudos go to the Year 10 English student I observed in the toilets who, when her friend implied that Shakespeare was boring, walked out in disgusted defiance. I salute you.
However, I digress.
I am finding it difficult to find good things to say about this production. I dont know if its just me, but I feel the production missed the whole message of the play. Perhaps I just interpret Macbeth differently to Schmitz. Personally, I dont want to see a loud angry Macbeth. I want to see an incredibly human, restrained, broken Macbeth. An insane Macbeth, a deteriorating Macbeth. I didnt get this from Class Acts interpretation.
Without wanting to sound Geoff Gibbs/Sarah McNeill-esque (read their recent reviews in The West/The Post respectively), I wasnt enamored with Mike (McCall) or Angelique Malcom. They did fine, and one thing I will give them is that the school kids got the introduction to Macbeth they needed. However, I didnt feel that their relationship was "terrifyingly real", but rather forced and awkward. Their first scene together, in all its groping glory, was strange to say the least. For someone who once gave me relatively astute tutelage in vocal techniques, Mike's words were almost indecipherable in parts, not due to his authentic and relatively thick Scottish accent, but due to mediocre pacing and generally poorly articulated words. I found this increasingly detaching, though his character got more appealing in the second act, I must admit. I found Malcom tolerable in her own right as an actress, but as a Lady Macbeth? I just didnt get the manipulative, scheming side of Lady Macbeths human condition. Although I did particularly like her hand-washing scene. The two actors just didnt mesh well, which was a real shame.
Just my opinion.
I loved the actor who played the Porter (Sorry, misplaced my programme) - what a scene stealer! The other supporting actors were also strong, particularly Dan Luxton and Stephen Lee.
The scene in which the witches (which witch? the wicked witch? Sorry, couldnt help myself) and Macbeth are 'conversing' after the cauldron scene was unfortunate, saved only by the fantastic witches speech - Eye of newt, anyone? And Mike and Angelique did, in fact, do a convincing job in the scene/s in which they hallucinate now-dead characters.
Some other things I liked:
The scaffholding (hessian was an unfourtunate choice, however)
The cauldron
The blood (used copiously)
The fighting (Mr Fraser, you've done it again)
The discovery that you can, in fact, see The Brick and the Rose at 6.30pm at the Blue Room studio, then go directly to The Reader in the Blue Room Main Theatre at 8pm, or to Macbeth just round the corner. All in one night. I saw all three in one day. Love it. LOVE IT.
and finally, the opening sentence of Mike's bio: "Michael spent his formative years in Glascow and bars."
Gold. Absoloute gold.
Cheers.
Thou infectious fool-born hugger-mugger!
I saw Macbeth on Thursday, at the 12 noon matinee. Kudos go to the Year 10 English student I observed in the toilets who, when her friend implied that Shakespeare was boring, walked out in disgusted defiance. I salute you.
However, I digress.
I am finding it difficult to find good things to say about this production. I dont know if its just me, but I feel the production missed the whole message of the play. Perhaps I just interpret Macbeth differently to Schmitz. Personally, I dont want to see a loud angry Macbeth. I want to see an incredibly human, restrained, broken Macbeth. An insane Macbeth, a deteriorating Macbeth. I didnt get this from Class Acts interpretation.
Without wanting to sound Geoff Gibbs/Sarah McNeill-esque (read their recent reviews in The West/The Post respectively), I wasnt enamored with Mike (McCall) or Angelique Malcom. They did fine, and one thing I will give them is that the school kids got the introduction to Macbeth they needed. However, I didnt feel that their relationship was "terrifyingly real", but rather forced and awkward. Their first scene together, in all its groping glory, was strange to say the least. For someone who once gave me relatively astute tutelage in vocal techniques, Mike's words were almost indecipherable in parts, not due to his authentic and relatively thick Scottish accent, but due to mediocre pacing and generally poorly articulated words. I found this increasingly detaching, though his character got more appealing in the second act, I must admit. I found Malcom tolerable in her own right as an actress, but as a Lady Macbeth? I just didnt get the manipulative, scheming side of Lady Macbeths human condition. Although I did particularly like her hand-washing scene. The two actors just didnt mesh well, which was a real shame.
Just my opinion.
I loved the actor who played the Porter (Sorry, misplaced my programme) - what a scene stealer! The other supporting actors were also strong, particularly Dan Luxton and Stephen Lee.
The scene in which the witches (which witch? the wicked witch? Sorry, couldnt help myself) and Macbeth are 'conversing' after the cauldron scene was unfortunate, saved only by the fantastic witches speech - Eye of newt, anyone? And Mike and Angelique did, in fact, do a convincing job in the scene/s in which they hallucinate now-dead characters.
Some other things I liked:
The scaffholding (hessian was an unfourtunate choice, however)
The cauldron
The blood (used copiously)
The fighting (Mr Fraser, you've done it again)
The discovery that you can, in fact, see The Brick and the Rose at 6.30pm at the Blue Room studio, then go directly to The Reader in the Blue Room Main Theatre at 8pm, or to Macbeth just round the corner. All in one night. I saw all three in one day. Love it. LOVE IT.
and finally, the opening sentence of Mike's bio: "Michael spent his formative years in Glascow and bars."
Gold. Absoloute gold.
Cheers.
Thou infectious fool-born hugger-mugger!