Double, double toil and trouble. HER Productions’ Macbeth captures the tragedy and eerie atmosphere of Shakespeare’s play in an all female and non-binary production.
Set in 11th-century Scotland amid a backdrop of war, Macbeth follows the titular general who encounters three ‘weird sisters’ with a prophecy of his ascension to the throne. The tale of murder, paranoia and power is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays for a reason.
The production – part of HER’s annual Unseemly Shakespeare plays – added in an opening prior to the meeting of the three witches, where Lady Macbeth suffers a miscarriage and one of the witches monologues about female sacrifice. Though it is implied that Lady Macbeth once had a child in the original play, it is never clear what happened to the child so this production makes it explicit – perhaps a reflection on recent events concerning reproductive freedoms.
Performances were strong across the board with mesmerising body performances from the three witches and standout monologues from Elaine McNicol as Macbeth and Frankie Lipman as Lady Macbeth.
Limited to a small square stage with seats on all sides, the staging surprisingly worked to its advantage with witches frantically running between corners only adding to the creepy atmosphere. Each half of the play used one main multimodal prop in the staging – first, a bathtub, and second, a drum.
The costume design was intricate, blending modern styles such as denim jackets with traditional Macbeth costuming such as the plaid and armor. Naomi Albans wore nude gloves with red sequins to show the blood on King Duncan’s hands in the war and foreshadow how his blood will be on the Macbeths’ hands – an excellent added touch.
Whether you are a Shakespeare newbie or seasoned theatre-goer, this production of Macbeth is well worth a watch.
The show is running at Hope Mill Theatre until 29th June before concluding its tour at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield.
Featured image: Lowri Burkinshaw
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