1,061 posts
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Post by David J on Feb 13, 2021 1:09:30 GMT
Funny enough, as much as the dustbin/post-apocalyptic design was bad in the NT's Macbeth, I found the whole production more consistent than the RSC production. I got thar world Rufus Norris was trying to convey and he stuck to it.
Lucy Bailey is all ideas, such as the Shining witches, but can't bring them together into one vision. The one take away I could take away was the cyclic nature of violence with the ticking clock but otherwise it was just there with no big impact other than dragging the production. Christopher Eccleston struggled with the text and Edward Bennett was miscast as Macduff.
Regarding the play I have little empathy for the main characters, which isn't the point of play but after the witches go it slows down whilst I wait for the Macbeths to die. Only the Malcolm scene elevates the remaining acts.
Which is why the Ninagawa production is my favourite Macbeth because it is the only production that made me feel for the Macbeths' plight. The other Macbeths I liked were the Jonathan Slinger production and a physical/dance adaptation by the Mark Bruce company. Very atmospheric those two.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 13, 2021 2:49:46 GMT
The Slinger production was interesting only for the weird children (though even that fell apart when they were also playing the Macduff children)
The central relationship was fatally hampered by the lack of chemistry between the Thane and his wife.
I quite enjoyed Seyton playing it as Satan and taking over the Porter scene.
If the RSC still believed in developing actors over an extended period, they would not have let Alex Waldmann and Pippa Nixon stray too far.
They work well together and would work well as the central couple.
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Post by Jan on Feb 13, 2021 8:54:39 GMT
I didn't see it - I chose not to and it was a mistake - but the Out of Joint immersive one set during a modern day central African civil war with child soldiers and witch doctors got great reviews. Did anyone see it ? The appearance of Banquo's ghost was meant to be a great moment in it. Absolutely fantastic and by far the best Macbeth I have ever seen. Danny Sapani and Monica Dolan were outstanding (can't wait to see him in the Almeida's Hymn next week). Yes, the banquet scene was terrifying, and being charged 10p to look at the bodies of Macduff's family was also a deeply chilling moment. Superb. There was no real reason I chose not to see this - useful to be periodically reminded of what I missed to make me more diligent in future. I did see “Summerfolk” though. |
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Post by Jan on Feb 13, 2021 9:02:42 GMT
Funny enough, as much as the dustbin/post-apocalyptic design was bad in the NT's Macbeth, I found the whole production more consistent than the RSC production. I got thar world Rufus Norris was trying to convey and he stuck to it. Lucy Bailey is all ideas, such as the Shining witches, but can't bring them together into one vision. The one take away I could take away was the cyclic nature of violence with the ticking clock but otherwise it was just there with no big impact other than dragging the production. Christopher Eccleston struggled with the text and Edward Bennett was miscast as Macduff. Regarding the play I have little empathy for the main characters, which isn't the point of play but after the witches go it slows down whilst I wait for the Macbeths to die. Only the Malcolm scene elevates the remaining acts. Which is why the Ninagawa production is my favourite Macbeth because it is the only production that made me feel for the Macbeths' plight. The other Macbeths I liked were the Jonathan Slinger production and a physical/dance adaptation by the Mark Bruce company. Very atmospheric those two. Minor correction - wasn’t Lucy Bailey (hers was at the Globe). Polly Findlay. (I thought Carrie Cracknell before I looked it up - but hers was Young Vic - all that awful dancing). |
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 13, 2021 22:06:45 GMT
RSC and NT productions were both horrendous.
Macbeth is an interesting idea for a Hytner Shakespeare at the Bridge. After the excellent productions of Dream and Caesar I wonder how they'll approach it.
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Post by Jan on Feb 14, 2021 11:00:19 GMT
RSC and NT productions were both horrendous. Macbeth is an interesting idea for a Hytner Shakespeare at the Bridge. After the excellent productions of Dream and Caesar I wonder how they'll approach it. Promenade production again I'd guess, but as the play is more "domestic" and small-scale than the other two it would be harder to pull off. |
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5,186 posts
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Post by Being Alive on Feb 14, 2021 13:10:25 GMT
Id hope it's promenade - they're a lot of fun, but agree it's more difficult to create than Caesar and Dream.
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Feb 14, 2021 15:50:53 GMT
Being a faint risk it's not a play I've seen often, I have to really want to see a production to take that gamble but I think it's not a play I think I enjoy that much, that might be school teaching spoiling it or just the fear I'll spend large amounts of time scared of potential red stuff. I saw the Stewart/Fleetwood version in a heightened state of fear and thought it very good and liked the intimacy and darkness of the version at the Globe SWP. The Bridge's Shakespeare record being strong I'd be interested to see how they might do it.
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Post by alexandra on Feb 14, 2021 17:20:00 GMT
Absolutely fantastic and by far the best Macbeth I have ever seen. Danny Sapani and Monica Dolan were outstanding (can't wait to see him in the Almeida's Hymn next week). Yes, the banquet scene was terrifying, and being charged 10p to look at the bodies of Macduff's family was also a deeply chilling moment. Superb. There was no real reason I chose not to see this - useful to be periodically reminded of what I missed to make me more diligent in future. I did see “Summerfolk” though. Touche. |
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Post by Jan on Feb 14, 2021 17:44:40 GMT
There was no real reason I chose not to see this - useful to be periodically reminded of what I missed to make me more diligent in future. I did see “Summerfolk” though. Touche. I expect no-one can match the three productions I actually had tickets for but still didn't go to. Richard III - Simon Russell-Beale Hamlet - Kenneth Branagh Othello - dir Michael Gradage/Chiwetel Ejiofor/Ewan McGregor |
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Feb 14, 2021 18:47:04 GMT
I expect no-one can match the three productions I actually had tickets for but still didn't go to. Richard III - Simon Russell-Beale Hamlet - Kenneth Branagh Othello - dir Michael Gradage/Chiwetel Ejiofor/Ewan McGregor Was that all choice? |
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Post by Jan on Feb 14, 2021 19:59:45 GMT
I expect no-one can match the three productions I actually had tickets for but still didn't go to. Richard III - Simon Russell-Beale Hamlet - Kenneth Branagh Othello - dir Michael Gradage/Chiwetel Ejiofor/Ewan McGregor Was that all choice? No. Different circumstances. If I have the tickets I’ll always go normally. The Othello ones were selling for hundreds from the touts but I didn’t even manage to pass mine on, there was an empty seat. Sorry. |
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on Feb 14, 2021 23:44:36 GMT
I can’t remember SRB as RIII. But saw the other two, Jan. Meh. You didn’t miss much.
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5,062 posts
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Post by Phantom of London on Feb 15, 2021 0:01:40 GMT
The Chichester Festival and the last Globe production was also poorly received. One of the hardest Shakespeare’s to get right.
I would have thought the Bridge would just play it safe and do a decent Hamlet, a sure fire hit.
Also agree it will be a heavy lift to get people back into theatre and could see more revivals being done and thankfully not a new version by.............. Before lockdown there were a plethora of mediocre new plays.
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Post by Jan on Feb 15, 2021 8:31:48 GMT
The Chichester Festival and the last Globe production was also poorly received. One of the hardest Shakespeare’s to get right. I would have thought the Bridge would just play it safe and do a decent Hamlet, a sure fire hit. Also agree it will be a heavy lift to get people back into theatre and could see more revivals being done and thankfully not a new version by.............. Before lockdown there were a plethora of mediocre new plays. We should be thankful the Bridge are staging a Shakespeare rather than a new play by David Hare based on his experience queuing to get his Covid vaccination. |
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Post by bordeaux on Feb 15, 2021 10:05:16 GMT
I can’t remember SRB as RIII. But saw the other two, Jan. Meh. You didn’t miss much. He did his back in part way through the run so Ciaran Hinds took over when it came to the Donmar. 1992-93. RSC and Sam Mendes (I'd forgotten he'd directed it twice, the other with Spacey of course). |
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Post by Jan on Feb 15, 2021 17:40:41 GMT
I can’t remember SRB as RIII. But saw the other two, Jan. Meh. You didn’t miss much. He did his back in part way through the run so Ciaran Hinds took over when it came to the Donmar. 1992-93. RSC and Sam Mendes (I'd forgotten he'd directed it twice, the other with Spacey of course). Directors returning to direct the same Shakespeare play again used to be more common than it is now. Jonathan Miller directed King Lear eight times I think. On the subject of this thread, Trevor Nunn directed Macbeth twice, the first time a problematic main stage RSC production with Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren. He then almost immediately afterwards directed the famous small-scale McKellen/Dench production. |
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