Overheard at intermission: “this may be the worst production of Shakespeare I’ve ever seen”. Director Sam Gold can now confidently claim the crown of worst interpreter of the Bard in, at least, recent memory. This version of Macbeth is utterly incomprehensible.
I often do not open my Playbill before a show. In the case of Macbeth, I know the story and have seen many variations and adaptations. Still running since 2011, the unique Sleep No More contained a killer rendition of “out damned spot” without language only movement. This show was the polar opposite and the scene was dull.
Many directors approach these old classics and set them in various times with different settings. I’ve seen dozens and dozens. The Red Bull Theater’s marvelously macabre Macbeth comes to mind. That was a riveting reinterpretation. In order for any play to work, there has to be clear storytelling. Broadway level requires even more.
After a needed post-theater beverage, I opened the Playbill which contained a pamphlet. “A Note on the Production” on page one attempted to explain why there was minimal scenery, no major scene changes and actors playing multiple roles “like the theater of Shakespeare’s time”.
The middle two pages show pictures of the actors and list the roles they play. A synopsis on the backside tells the whole story as if we are at the opera and the language is foreign. Clearly they know the show is a confusing mess. It is also an abomination of misguided vision at very high ticket prices. If you know Macbeth fairly well, you will still be mystified as to what is going on.
Is there anything to recommend? Daniel Craig is fine as Macbeth. His performance in Othello downtown years ago was excellent. Ruth Negga displays Lady Macbeth’s stature but with little depth of manipulation. The Tony nomination for her is simply odd. Both actors are overshadowed by the lack of focus in the staging and the storytelling.
Sam Gold’s King Lear a number of years ago was awful too. Glenda Jackson was the victim then. He did a wildly controversial The Glass Menagerie with Sally Field that many hated. I actually like that one for its moments of risk taking excellence despite its bizarro staging. I will think hard before seeing another show he directs. The money will likely be better spent elsewhere.
That’s enough to say on this one. A hard pass for all, including fans of these accomplished stars.
Macbeth is running on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre through July 10, 2022.