Macbeth's descent into madness;
Credit: Otilia Dragan/Chronicle.lu
Chronicle.lu sat in on the premiere of Macbeth, the shortest Shakespeare play, which took place on the evening of Wednesday 25 October 2023 at the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.
This play is often nicknamed “the Scottish play” so as not to conjure up evil, as it is thought to be “cursed” and bring bad luck, Jeanine Goedert explained while introducing the play. The play was written for King James I, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I whom the queen named as her successor to the throne due to having died childless. King James I became the patron of Shakespeare’s theatre company and renamed it “The King’s Men”. This was a new play but an old story, and it catered to the king’s interest in the occult (he himself had published a dissertation titled "Daemonologie"). These introductions discussing details about the play will take place again half an hour before all the following performances (except for Thursday 26 October 2023).
This is a perfect October play for its dark and mysterious atmosphere. Directed by Richard Twyman and played by the English Touring Theatre (ETT), Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Macbeth continues to captivate audiences with its exploration of ambition, power hunger and the consequences of unchecked desire. This age-old tale was brought to life honouring its classic roots but with an added layer of intensity embracing various facets of modern technology, a gripping, atmospheric contemporary backdrop and some interesting choices regarding the embodiment of the “weird sisters”.
The portrayal of Macbeth was rendered more poignant by the character’s close, loving relationship with his wife. Mike Noble’s performance skilfully conveyed Macbeth’s gradual descent into madness, making the audience feel the weight of each moral compromise. The transformation from a valiant warrior to a paranoid tyrant was chilling, his internal tension and madness were portrayed with detailed, visual and acoustic effects adding to the uneasy atmosphere.
The production's attention to detail was evident in the atmospheric set design, which was both reminiscent of a modern hotel or residence and the eerie, war-torn Scottish moors. The use of lighting, haze effects and sound further enhanced the play's dramatic tension, creating an immersive experience.
Lady Macbeth's character, a complex mix of ambition and guilt, was portrayed with a captivating blend of vulnerability and ruthlessness by Laura Elsworthy. Her emotional journey into the darkness showed beauty and innocence as a crumbling façade. While it is generally up for debate whether Macbeth and Lady Macbeth lost a child, this production makes it clear in some graphic (but not gory) detail.
The diverse supporting cast delivered strong performances, bringing the play's various subplots and themes to life. The witches, in particular, heightened the supernatural setting of the story by being all-present in mood and spirit even without always being shown.
Macbeth remains a timeless masterpiece that continues to resonate with audiences due to its exploration of the human condition. This rendition of the play contained moments of violence, death (that made the audience wince) and references to child loss, murder and suicide. It was overall an artistically accomplished theatrical experience, offering a fresh perspective on a classic tragedy that still holds sway over the modern stage.
Additional performances of the play will take place on Thursday 26, Friday 27 and on Saturday 28 at the Grand Theatre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg at 20:00.
Tickets can be ordered via email: info@luxembourgticket.lu (€20 for adults and €8 for students) or via tel.: 470-8951.
