Donmar Warehouse’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth strips the script to its bare bones, with no set, few props and costumes that are simple black and white. The production is heavily stylised in a way that accentuates the superb acting on display, but occasionally at the cost of cohesion and comprehension.
The main draw of the production is David Tennant and Cush Jumbo as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Both give immense performances, carefully tracking the characters’ story arcs as they sway between a lust for power and a conscience in turmoil. This is especially apparent in Tennant’s Macbeth, who grapples with guilt after murdering King Duncan (Benny Young), only to be grounded and comforted by the formidable Jumbo, who is the driving force of their gruesome tale in these early scenes. As the play progresses, Tennant’s Macbeth grows in confidence, almost gleefully ordering the murder of Banquo (Cal Macanich) and playing his own part in the death of Macduff’s son (Casper Knopf). Jumbo’s character arc faces the opposite trajectory, as she descends into madness, although, as is always the problem with this play, she is not afforded enough stage time to allow us to properly appreciate this downfall.
The focus on Tennant and Jumbo is such that the other characters feel rather bland by comparison. Scenes where Tennant and Jumbo don’t feature feel rushed. Banquo (Cal Macaninch) gets lost in the background as he and Macbeth are visited by the Wyrd Sisters, the camera choosing to focus on Tennant’s reaction instead. When Macduff (Noof Ousellum) receives news that his family has been murdered, it feels rather underwhelming, his reaction underplayed. The expansion of Lady Macduff’s role (Rona Morison is given additional lines in earlier scenes that are spoken by Lennox in the original) means that this should be a more emotional moment, but Ousellum gives such an understated performance that the scene is quickly swept aside so that we can focus on Tennant’s next soliloquy. The saving grace is that Tennant is fantastic in the production, and to see his performance alone is well worth the price of a cinema ticket.
Gareth Fry’s experimental sound design has the actors mic’ed throughout, and the audience wearing headphones, allowing certain lines to be whispered or spoken confidentially between characters. This is especially effective when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a brief tête-à-tête during a banquet, the whispered argument helping to convey the nature of their double-lives. The witches are portrayed simply by whispers in the air, and do not take on a physical form, except for their prophecies which are spoken by Knopf. This is an interesting decision, and one that certainly makes the most of the sound design (surround sound in the cinema helped place the audience in the midst of the action) but it could come across as confusing to those who are not used to the story.
In fact, many aspects of this production could prove to be confusing to the uninitiated. Actors take on multiple roles – usually not a problem, except there was no change of costume, and no clear change in acting style either. It is particularly confusing to see Malcolm (Ros Watt) sat at the banquet when they are meant to be in England, and again to see them cut down by Macbeth during the battle scene. Steps have been taken to make the meaning clearer – certain words and lines have been updated throughout to make it more suitable for a 21st Century audience – but the stark design of the show makes for a difficult watch if you are unfamiliar with the original script.
This is a production that exists to celebrate the actors, and Tennant is simply perfection when it comes to Shakespeare. Very few can match his standard. If you are a fan of Shakespeare, and a fan of Tennant, then this film is highly recommended – if this is your first exposure to the play, then you might want to watch another version first.
Tom Morley, February 2025
Broken Legs Blog 