Macbeth

Playing at the Barrymore Theatre located at 243 West 47tn Street. It runs one hour forty minutes with no intermission. The play closes on July 14, 2013.

Macbeth is written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1603-1607. The earliest account of a performance was in April 1611.

John Tiffany is the director. He won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Circle Critics Award for “Once” (2012).

Alan Cummings won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Circle Critics Award for “Cabaret” (1998). He won two Emmy Awards for “The Good Wife” in 2011 & 2012. Alan won an “Olivier Award for “Cabaret” (1994), “Le Bete” (1993) and “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” (1991).

Mr. Cummings has played this role at The National Theatre of Scotland and Lincoln Center.

The play has won nine Tony Awards and seventy one Tony nominations.

Macbeth is a general in King Duncan army with his fellow solider Banquo. He meets three witches who make a prophesy that says the future heirs to the throne will descend from Banquo. King Duncan declares his son Malcolm will be his heir. The King is staying at Macbeths castle. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill Duncan to get control of the crown. The Kings son flees to England. The lords appoint Macbeth as king. He remembers the witch’s prophecy and he has Banquo and his son killed. More people are killed. The witch’s make more prophecy’s. Lady Macbeth goes crazy.

This version of Macbeth takes place in a mental asylum.

Macbeth (Allen Cumming) has his DNA and things taken from under his nails by a doctor (Jenny Sterlin). An orderly (Brendan Titley) take his clothes and gives him other clothes to wear. He is the only patient here. There are two beds a sink, table, mirror, a bath tub and a chair turned over.

Macbeth rants about things that have happened. At one point in gets undressed and goes into the tub that has water in it. When he comes out he has a towel held in front of him. After his speech he turns around drops the towel and gets dressed again.

After he makes another speech, the lights dim. When they come up again he has blood on his hands.

We assume that Macbeth is distraught over the deaths he has caused to get the crown. Guilt has caught up to him.

Lucky Playbill had a synopsis on the play. Otherwise you would have been totally lost as to what was going on. Even if you read it, it was hard to follow. Allan does dialogue for several characters. It’s bad enough to understand Shakespeare as it was written.

There are three screens high up on the stage. They come on time to time to show Alan from the front when his back is to the audience. It also comes on when he goes into the tube the second time.

The doctor and the orderly come on the stage from time to time, sometimes they talk, but very little. You will see them from a window high up observing Macbeth.

Alan Cumming is fantastic.

If you like Alan Cumming then go see Macbeth. Otherwise don’t bother you can catch Macbeth another time.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich

Photos by Annazor.

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