The Green message of this production in aid of Friends Of The Earth is low-key, consisting simply of an awareness of natural forces and their perversion. Readings aren't forced upon the play; the design is grounded in practicalities (although it does seem a bit daft to refer to naked, painted torsos as "armour"). It thus becomes a question simply of whether or not individual nuances work. Pretty consistently, they do.
Jonathan Donne's Macbeth seems always focussed just beyond the events at hand, out of tune with the world around him. Miranda Foster's Lady M. eschews all melodrama, making both her ruthlessness and ultimate breakdown more potent. In a company of thirteen, Jo Girdlestone imbues a witch, murderer, doctor and Lady Macduff each with specific sensitivities. It's worth a splintered bum on the most uncomfortable seating in London to see this accomplished example of vision without conceit.
Written for City Limits magazine.
Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.
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