You will never again see the Scottish play interpreted this way. Intended to open on International Women’s Day, it found its audience. Seventy percent of the delayed opening night audience was women. Before us, the witches told the story from the beginning to the emphatic end. Enough to the patriarchy. Enough to women seeing clearly where ambitions will end and stepping back and saying nothing. Enough to participating in the blood letting that men like to inflict. Enough!!
This play draws the line on history. And it does so with great skill.
Dramaturg Sue Rider has put a stake in the ground and stood back. Future theatre companies will use her adaption. But will they have the benefit of the three actors who brought such depth, and skill, to their roles?
Nicole Hoskins, Roxanne McDonald and Mel Ree gave us the Weird Sisters, Macbeth, Duncan, Malcolm, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, MacDuff, Porter and murderer in the round. Before us, below us, they were sisters as healers, ambitious and bloodthirsty and power hungry kings and thanes and the victims of horrific violence. The actors used minor costume changes, props, dance and movement to create the mood, and shatter it at will.
If you have not yet read this play, and do not know its story (you may have seen a movie or at another theatre) then I recommend you read it before you visit. The language is fast and furious and you have to concentrate to keep up.
And that’s the underlying message of this play. Ambition and power seeking don’t happen with good manners. It happens in front of us, is relentless and requires us to step up now to stop the carnage. For carnage is inevitable when men and women look to their own advancement without regard to their impact on others. Enough!
At La Boite until 22 March. Book here: https://tickets.laboite.com.au/overview/macbeth-2025
Kerry McGovern
