Pleasure Dome Theatre Company

I saw this last night on a blustery clifftop and with a beautiful sunset. I have seen many productions of the Scottish play but this stands out. Outstanding yet simple lighting. The cast were all committed to their multiple roles and the use of the natural backdrop which includes, Wales, sea, sky, clouds and sunset was astonishing. The diversity of your cast in age and breadth of experience and acting styles was remarkable. A very sexy female Malcolm became male in my eyes after about 20 minutes and carried the strength that the character demands. Had the feeling of rubbing shoulders with the actors and that any moment one of us in the audience could be caught up as innocent victims in the Bard's slaughter and madness. 

The chilly wind entering holes in my jacket added to this feeling. All the characters from Macbeth to Macduff and the witches are all draped in poor peoples' raiment. Only Lady Macbeth had a crimson dress and clean white nightdress which stood out in an eerie blue light as she scrubbed the 'spot'. The weapons were basic but two fencing foils made for some fair choreographed fight scenes and the deaths were perfectly staged without overacting. As Lady Macbeth persuades her husband that the Scottish throne is there for the taking, she hints quite early on that she is not going to take the whole shenanigans well. 

Her madness was very lucidly portrayed and her candle scene was quite unique. Not Judi Dench's heavily acted and hard to watch descent into insanity but rather a fresher and more credible somnambulist whose actions were well balanced by a very erudite commentary from stage right. Whilst the use of props was sparse, this made one more aware of the wonderful surroundings. The acoustics were such that both Hecate and Macbeth were able to deliver their lines from some 200 feet away without power amplification. Astonishing to see Macbeth arise over the brow of the hill from under a freshly setting sun. Hecate too, had a powerful delivery and projected right to the back of the roped audience areas on the closely cropped grassland. 

This is a gripping and genuinely powerful production, making use of wide entrance points in the bracken. Perhaps a little too wide at times as I was not quite sure where to look as action continued off stage. Fortunately the five entrance points swiftly become clear and most of the important set pieces that we have come to know and love were held fairly centrally. The cauldron scene used six actors walking three in each direction making for an effective use of movement and held one's attention. Diction and end support was maintained throughout by the cast who must frankly have been pretty chilly on the clifftop. Well done indeed to the director, production team, lighting - Jai Moraria - and all seven cast members for putting together an intimate and explosive production of the Scottish Play. Poetic subtlety, visceral energy and an extraordinary backdrop made this an extremely worthwhile evening for the meagre 15 pounds charged for a ticket. I encourage all to make their way there and enjoy what promises to be an enthralling evening depending on the weather and the thickness of your blanket. Angus Scott