David Tennant as Macbeth - Donmar Warehouse / Harold Pinter

I needed some time to adapt to the headphones. In order to persuade my mind that it is indeed live and not the recording I hear I took them off completely for the first 15 mins and to be honest.. even a whisper could be heard in the Circle so tiny this place is. I put them back on as I thought oh well it was intended this way.. but still not entirely sure it was all that necessary.
I found this quite a disappointment, more of style over substance. The monochrome design is beautiful and the more affecting in the very final scene when the colour suddenly pops up. Apart from the porter (he should have cut his act at least in half, it was amusing but stopped being funny after 2 minutes or so) I found this a traditional version, no big findings or revelations (unlike the other Macbeths I have seen, e.g. John Heffernan’s character in YV production clearly having PTSD or Saoirse Ronnan’s Lady M present for MacDuff’s family being murdered). I also loved the Almeida’s take on the final image, much darker and fitting, as if to say the bloodbath will go on and on, with other faces showing the same ambition, as long as there’s such thing as power. Here the garden growing makes it too cheerful and out of logic.
Solid performances snd s nice try, but will I remember it come summer? Probably not.

I totally agree. I was second row behind the woman he “picked on”. Had he done that to me I would have left. Breaking the 4th Wall, it was an utter mess and did nothing to enhance the production

If anyone is interested I have returned 2 tickets to Macbeth at the Donmar for this Sat Eve, B34/35 in the stalls

I saw it tonight, as well. << SPOILERS AHOY!! >>>

You’re inviting a pretty high bar with headphones and, imo, the added texture and colours almost got them there. What got them comfortably over the bar was an added level of comprehension – divvying up the spoken and thoughts/emotions worked very well. Super clear, easier insights.

Among the big successes was obviously hearing the last breaths of mother and daughter (rather than peering at them at distance).

I also liked the non-interval interval – giving people a chance to take off the ‘phones and have a bit of a rest from it all. Tbh, it took me a moment because we were clearly off-script but confirmation (the reference to a current, unpopular politician), was helpful. Later twigged this was the guy who also introduced the evening. I'm glad he mentioned 'radio play' because, beforehand, I was worried about that.

Loved the music and, actually, all the behind the glass screen activity.

Tennant and Jumbo are in their elements here; top level performers on their game.

Really quite glad to be there. Solid choices throughout, ambitious to an extent, and I was happy to buy in.

Tennant batting for the NHS now. Lots of little tweety messages etc.

David Tennant just said on the radio this will have another run in the autumn, theatre tbc.

Saw this on Wednesday night and wasn't enamoured. I thought Tennant was fantastic but when he wasn't on stage the whole energy dipped. Jumbo was disappointing.

Also found it visually very uninteresting and with the doubling up of parts yet everyone wearing the same costumes it was confusing at points to know who was who.

That standup part - cringe.

Enjoyed the sound design in the headphones, did not enjoy my extremely uncomfortable seat in the circle.

3/5

No gossip but if it hadn't mentioned an Autumn opening, this could have filled the late summer gap at the Noel Coward nicely.

Went to this last week. It was well acted and I enjoyed the staging but it was also aomewhat flat.

Looks like the West End transfer is being announced tomorrow at 10am to an ATG venue, so either the Duke of York's or the Harold Pinter.

I couldn't imagine a transfer without him!