Macbeth By the Sea
I saw Macbeth By Sea, quite an absurd and unusual take on Macbeth to say the least and with plenty of laughs. It’s a comedy/comedie on in The Space on the Mile in Space 2. Find out below what the brochure says, my review and where you can purchase tickets.
What the Brochure says:
The Macbeths have killed King Duncan and taken over his kingdom. Now it’s time to party – except for Banquo’s battered spirit showing up and ruining everything. Lady Macbeth is worried her husband’s guilty hallucinations will doom their tenure as royalty. She orders they go away for the weekend at a seaside resort to get their heads on straight. Try as they might to loose the shackles of their evil deeds with couples massages, karaoke, and vacation friends – a certain trio of witches aren’t far behind.
Review
“That Scottish play” is in the theatrical air, from the Edinburgh Fringe to many other theatres across the country, there are many different performances of it between this and next year.
Macbeth by the Sea is an hour-long absurdist comedy play produced by the American company John Hancock Productions. It is being shown at the Space on the Mile and is directed by Andrea J. Dymond.
This was definitely the quirkiest, strangest productions of Macbeth I and possibly many other people have ever seen. It mixes the absurd with original storytelling and occasional bursts of Shakespearean rhythm of words.
“The Scottish Play” starts with, let’s just say, a bit of a rice pudding obessesion, which may not sell the play to you, but there’s more, where it gets better. The play moves onto the Macbeths, who go on holiday for a break from all that happened before. Interestingly their holiday is in a seaside resort and all conjures up a 1920’s/1930’s vibe. It is quite a luxury hotel with a spa and karaoke nights. Their holiday is interrupted by a lieutenant who is reminiscent of a PI, noir style. The lieutenant is there to investigate Duncan’s death.
The 3 witches make an entrance like you’ve never seen them before. The lines are what you’d expect to hear (almost), but there’s a clever twist in their delivery.
At times it breaks the fourth wall as you are told in ingenious ways, the actual story of Macbeth in an abridged way, focusing on the main points. I felt there were moments of respect for the original script as a more modern story was entwined with it. It is still probably still useful to know, at least a bit of Macbeth beforehand, so you can fully follow what’s going on.
It’s a good fun afternoon. Here is the link to the play where you can book your tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/macbeth-by-the-sea
Thanks for the invitation in-exchange of an honest review.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 