Half A Macbeth

[smallhobbit]

When we were originally planning to go to London for the weekend, SM and I had booked tickets to see Macbeth at the National.  SM ran his half-marathon (he completed in less than three hours so was happy), and I went to the theatre.

It should have been good: Rory Kinnear as Macbeth and Anne-Marie Duff (one of my favourite actresses) as Lady Macbeth.  But the reviews as they came in weren't promising - I don't read the reviews until I've seen a play, but it was impossible to miss the headlines.  And none of my friends was interested in taking up the spare ticket - they'd already seen it.

Nevertheless I tried to be impartial.  I know sometimes what appeals to me isn't what others enjoy.  But sadly I was disappointed.  There's been plenty of adverse comment about the setting, but that I could probably have ignored.  However the play seemed very one-paced.  Too much in the way of gimmick, too little letting the story tell itself.  I discovered Stephen Boxer (another actor I like) was playing Duncan, but I hadn't realised until the interval, so little freedom were the actors given to show anything.

During the interval I read some of the reviews on my phone - in case they said the play improved in the second half.  They didn't.  So, since I knew what happened, and there didn't seem to be any chance of it happening in an interesting (as opposed to bizarre) way, and since catching an earlier train back to Richmond would mean there were less drunks around, I gave up and went back.

At least I was fore-warned - and SM hadn't come.

Comments

[corvidology]

I'm sorry you were so disappointed. Macbeth is a difficult play to mess up if you just get out of the way of the story.

[smallhobbit]

Exactly. The witches were downplayed (and whether you view them as literal witches or as more symbolic their role is vital), and there seemed to be no hierachy in the kingdom (which as some reviewers pointed out, meant there was no real reason to kill Duncan anyway).

[moth2fic]

Well done for abandoning it! I do that with books nowadays but it took me a long time to reach a point where I could, and I don't think I'd manage it with theatre. I have this kind of 'I've started so I'll finish' ethic! *g* Also, of course, I want my money's worth...

[smallhobbit]

Generally I will stay to the end, be it books or the theatre, television possibly less so, because I may watch something more to see if I like it without in a sense committing myself to it.

I wouldn't normally leave the theatre half way through, like you I want my money's worth, but as I walked down the stairs I knew I'd made the right decision - I had absolutely no regrets.

[mafief]

Which is still about half more than I’ve seen in a play. ;)

I’m impressed that you left; I’m not sure I’d be gutsy enough.

[smallhobbit]

It's a play I like, but I just thought another hour of it would be a waste of time. I don't suppose anyone (apart from the lady who I'd been sitting next to) would notice I'd left. It's a large building, with three separate stages, plus café and bookshop, so people are coming and going all the time anyway.