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Post by joem on Jun 20, 2018 22:13:03 GMT
I come late to this "Macbeth" but then this is really "Macbeth and the Porter" by Rufus Norris. I can live with cuts - though some of the cuts here are unwarranted (no "hubble bubble" for goodness sake!) - but when these cuts are balanced by padding with lots of little invented business and lines being changed and even added then sorry but... no.
This production suffers, like many "modern-dress" productions, from its location in a generic no-man's land where people wear greatcoats, high boots, fatigues and leather. They carry swords. Behave more like louts than armies. Speak Elizabethan/Jacobean verse in odd modern accents. So many changes are made for no apparent reason (why is Rosse a female actor? why is Fleance a girl and how does that enable Banquo after he is killed to have a partriarchal line of kings?) in the pursuit of this fabled Theatrelandia that you always end up with the same dull, grey, tiresomely familiar soup of a production.
This was visually good but ended up too preoccupied with this and with the almost incessant sounds and music and was less fussy over the tempo and tone of the piece. Intimate scenes were performed with actors bawling at each other across stage. Rory Kinnear's Macbeth was a Cowardly Custard of a tyrant, constantly apprehensive and quavering some of his manly lines in a self-pitying fashion. Anne Marie Duff had her moments but didn't shine as she should have. We had far too much Porter.
I have come to believe that too many directors are directing plays which they feel obliged to tackle but don't really want to, and therefore try and change them into the plays they would like to direct. Which is a shame because Norris may be a good director but as a playwright he is not a patch on Shakespeare. He should stick to what he does best and refrain from mutilating the works of others.
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Post by lynette on Jun 20, 2018 22:53:08 GMT
What is he good at? Running a theatre? Er?
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Post by learfan on Jun 21, 2018 5:33:45 GMT
Seeing this on Saturday, looking forward to comparing and contrasting with the RSC version i saw in May.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2018 6:33:45 GMT
Christ, is this still going?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2018 7:26:33 GMT
Christ, is this still going? Yes it is but I prefer JC if you don't mind. It's less formal. Ryan is fine too. |
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Post by theatrefan77 on Jun 21, 2018 7:43:23 GMT
A friend took me to see this again last night. I don't think its that terrible. Don't really care for the Mad Max type of set but some of the performances are really good. I really like Ann Marie Duff as Lady Macbeth although she doesn't have much chemistry with Rory Kinnear. He's a very good actor but somehow miscast as Macbeth and never totally believable as a warrior. The rest of the cast is generally good especially Banquo.
Certainly not the best Macbeth I've seen but not as bad as the reviews suggested imho. It's such a wonderful play anyway that it's difficult not to enjoy even in a not so good production.
The Olivier was only about half full
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Post by Jan on Jun 21, 2018 7:55:51 GMT
Christ, is this still going? It’s touring too so you can see it up until March 2019. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2018 8:12:11 GMT
A friend took me to see this again last night. I don't think its that terrible. Don't really care for the Mad Max type of set but some of the performances are really good. I really like Ann Marie Duff as Lady Macbeth although she doesn't have much chemistry with Rory Kinnear. He's a very good actor but somehow miscast as Macbeth and never totally believable as a warrior. The rest of the cast is generally good especially Banquo. Certainly not the best Macbeth I've seen but not as bad as the reviews suggested imho. It's such a wonderful play anyway that it's difficult not to enjoy even in a not so good production. The Olivier was only about half full Nice review: “it’s not that terrible”. Only a little bit terrible, then. And directed by the AD. Embarrassing. |
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Post by joem on Jun 21, 2018 8:46:57 GMT
What is he good at? Running a theatre? Er? I have to assume he is a good theatre director, else why would he have had all these plays on in London and be given the job of AD at the National? |
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Post by David J on Jun 23, 2018 16:16:31 GMT
So I saw the matinee today against my better judgement.
And I thought this was average, but not the disaster it has been described as
Better than the RSC’s version (but not by too much)
If I could make one defence for Rufus Norris it would be that his post apocalyptic vision was very consistent. I’d take a consistent production over one that has a bunch of ideas thrown together (ala Poly Findlay)
That said Rufus Norris’ vision made no sense and whilst there were moments that were neat (I liked watching Macbeth walk to the sleeping Duncan) there were moments that looked cringey (the cardboard box and Macbeth’s armour) or felt flat (Lady Macduff’s scene). There’s certainly an art to putting together a scene that makes an impact and Rufus Norris barely rises to the challenge
The acting was good, and there were signs of a good production if there was better direction
Otherwise it was just an average show
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Post by learfan on Jun 23, 2018 17:21:17 GMT
So I saw the matinee today against my better judgement. And I thought this was average, but not the disaster it has been described as Better than the RSC’s version (but not by too much) If I could make one defence for Rufus Norris it would be that his post apocalyptic vision was very consistent. I’d take a consistent production over one that has a bunch of ideas thrown together (ala Poly Findlay) That said Rufus Norris’ vision made no sense and whilst there were moments that were neat (I liked watching Macbeth walk to the sleeping Duncan) there were moments that looked cringey (the cardboard box and Macbeth’s armour) or felt flat (Lady Macduff’s scene). There’s certainly an art to putting together a scene that makes an impact and Rufus Norris barely rises to the challenge The acting was good, and there were signs of a good production if there was better direction Otherwise it was just an average show I was there too! Agree with you. Did i doze off or was the role of the Porter cut? Poor AM Duff, three flops in a row. Hope 2019 brings better luck. |
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Post by NeilVHughes on Jun 23, 2018 17:33:03 GMT
Had a ticket for tonight, decided to cut my losses earlier in the week as couldn’t face the bleakness again..
Now chilling in a pub in Richmond with a large red before going to see Utility at the Orange Tree Theatre.
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Post by David J on Jun 23, 2018 18:08:01 GMT
So I saw the matinee today against my better judgement. And I thought this was average, but not the disaster it has been described as Better than the RSC’s version (but not by too much) If I could make one defence for Rufus Norris it would be that his post apocalyptic vision was very consistent. I’d take a consistent production over one that has a bunch of ideas thrown together (ala Poly Findlay) That said Rufus Norris’ vision made no sense and whilst there were moments that were neat (I liked watching Macbeth walk to the sleeping Duncan) there were moments that looked cringey (the cardboard box and Macbeth’s armour) or felt flat (Lady Macduff’s scene). There’s certainly an art to putting together a scene that makes an impact and Rufus Norris barely rises to the challenge The acting was good, and there were signs of a good production if there was better direction Otherwise it was just an average show I was there too! Agree with you. Did i doze off or was the role of the Porter cut? Poor AM Duff, three flops in a row. Hope 2019 brings better luck. He wasn’t cut. In fact he was given a few more things to do. Trevor Fox was off and I believe the guy who usually played the doctor took on the role. Good performance I could have sworn Malcolm’s goading of MacDuff was cut down |
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Post by learfan on Jun 23, 2018 18:14:34 GMT
I was there too! Agree with you. Did i doze off or was the role of the Porter cut? Poor AM Duff, three flops in a row. Hope 2019 brings better luck. He wasn’t cut. In fact he was given a few more things to do. Trevor Fox was off and I believe the guy who usually played the doctor took on the role. Good performance I could have sworn Malcolm’s goading of MacDuff was cut down Oh dear! Clearly didn't make the same impression on me then! |
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Post by crabtree on Jun 23, 2018 18:52:01 GMT
Anyone care to elaborate on this infamous cardboard box....thanks.
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Post by foxa on Jun 23, 2018 22:01:33 GMT
Elaborate!! The cardboard box has been given more coverage here than Kinnear.
I think I started it in my posting in this thread 22nd March but then it took off in an extended and hilarious way (with some superb contributions from dramallama and others) 11th-12th May with the occasional sighting thereafter,
Though none of the production photos show the cardboard box (the shame!) I am delighted that the production has the courage to continue with its daft decision.
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Post by Snciole on Aug 4, 2018 10:14:29 GMT
The details of the tour have been announced t.co/Qx6J9z2qLJ?amp=1The main leads won't be touring, which is both a blessing and a curse. Fair play to the NT to bring this out to the masses, especially for GCSE students, but I am convinced it will put a generation off theatre. |
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Post by foxa on Aug 4, 2018 13:10:25 GMT
The details of the tour have been announced t.co/Qx6J9z2qLJ?amp=1The main leads won't be touring, which is both a blessing and a curse. Fair play to the NT to bring this out to the masses, especially for GCSE students, but I am convinced it will put a generation off theatre. No mention of the cardboard box? |
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Post by bellboard27 on Aug 4, 2018 14:59:28 GMT
The details of the tour have been announced t.co/Qx6J9z2qLJ?amp=1The main leads won't be touring, which is both a blessing and a curse. Fair play to the NT to bring this out to the masses, especially for GCSE students, but I am convinced it will put a generation off theatre. No mention of the cardboard box? What do you think they use for packing while on the road? |
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Post by peggs on Aug 4, 2018 16:39:12 GMT
Surely the whole production would be nothing without the cardboard box, I mean we've talked about it more than anything else.
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Post by foxa on Aug 4, 2018 17:18:19 GMT
Surely the whole production would be nothing without the cardboard box, I mean we've talked about it more than anything else. i know! And now I think we're going to move onto the dishwasher in 'Miss Julie'? Perhaps we need a whole new 'Weird Symbolic Household Items' thread? |
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Post by lynette on Aug 4, 2018 23:31:06 GMT
Perhaps we do.....
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Post by MrsCondomine on Aug 8, 2018 8:43:42 GMT
Surely the whole production would be nothing without the cardboard box, I mean we've talked about it more than anything else. i know! And now I think we're going to move onto the dishwasher in 'Miss Julie'? Perhaps we need a whole new 'Weird Symbolic Household Items' thread? My vote is for the egg in The Deep Blue Sea. Man that smelled amazing, especially as I was three wines deep. And it was cooked by beautiful Helen McCrory, who I have a raging ladycrush on. The egg very nearly upstaged her, though. |
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Post by westendrebecca on Nov 18, 2022 1:53:49 GMT
Real reach here, especially as I saw the show almost 4 years ago now, but does anyone happen to have a programme for sale from when this came on tour to the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton/know where I can find one? I know I’m unlikely to find one as it was a while back now!
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Post by londonpostie on Nov 18, 2022 9:39:32 GMT
These things do crop up. My suggestion is to:
1. Log into or sign up on ebay
2. Do a search (on ebay) using relevant keywords but not being too precise, say, 'Macbeth Southampton'.
3. Then, underneath the search box, click 'save this search' (next to the heart shape)
4. Then, crucially, click the link in the box that pops up 'Turn on email alerts'
If/when something relevant is put up for sale, you will get an email notification. Don't hold your breath though all kinds of unlikely items to crop up.
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