Macbeth in Stratford-upon-Avon!

Tuesday was our organized field trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, which is the birthplace of Shakespeare and the current home of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Even though I’ve already seen Macbeth once this summer, in Melbourne, I was impressed with this production, and not at all bored by seeing the same story twice. Macbeth is quickly becoming one of my favorite Shakespeare tragedies. I feel that since it’s been done so often, each production needs to make a special effort to do something different, to stand out from every other production of Macbeth, but without being ridiculous. The most notable difference between this production and the traditional Macbeth was that the three spirits were played by children. This made them very eerie and much scarier than when I’ve seen them played by adults. The echoing sound of a young child’s evil laugh can be bone-chilling. This production cut all the lines about bubbling and eye of newt and toe of frog. According to a Shakespeare scholar who presented the play to us on Monday, it is generally accepted that these lines were not written by Shakespeare, but rather added to the play by the first person to publish it after Shakespeare’s death. In fact, Shakespeare’s dialogue never refers to the women as witches, and it is only the stage directions which say, “enter three witches”. Shakespeare intended them to be wise women or the three fates, not witches, but witches were in vogue, and so they were added to the play after Shakespeare's death.

The other deviation from 'standard Macbeth' is that the scene of Banquo haunting Macbeth at the banquet was done twice, once before and once after intermission. The first time, the audience can see Banquo, and may wonder why no one but Macbeth can see him. Banquo actually stabs Macbeth, making him jerk and bleed. The second time, the exact same scene is played without Banquo, and the audience can see how strange Macbeth's actions look to the other characters, who cannot see Banquo. Macbeth screams, and talks, and jerks to the stabs of an unseen knife in an unseen hand. This time, the blood is invisible.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were powerful actors, and the children were well cast for their small, creepy parts, but the real show-stealer was Banquo’s hair. He had the most awesome dreadlocks I have ever seen in a Shakespeare play. I was sad to see him killed off, but gratified by his reappearance in subsequent scenes as a ghost. 

Banquo and his awesome hair!

I think the fascination with Shakespeare's birthplace is a little bit strange. It's crazy to think that if four hundred years from now my blog were considered classic literature, people might travel to Suffield, OH to see the birthplace of the great Amelia. There would be a gift shop in my house and a visitor center at the intersection of 43 and Waterloo Rd. And yet what could people learn about me from coming to Suffield? Where I grew up has undeniably influenced me, but what of that influence could possibly survive 400 years? In 400 years, Suffield could become a city, or a very large farm. I'm glad I went to Stratford-upon-Avon because the play was wonderful and the stage is very cool, but I don't think the fact that Shakespeare was born there 400 years ago means very much to me.

Ooh, the house in which Shakespeare was born!

A statue of Hamlet

My Lady Macbeth imitation. Notice the crazy eyes.

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is pretty cool! The only piece of furniture used in the whole play is one throne which was lowered from the ceiling with Macbeth on top. Other than that, all the play was done without major set pieces, which makes the background especially important. Even the banquet scene was done standing up! The stage looked like a ruined church, symbolic of the destruction of Catholic church art by the protestants during the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. It was appropriately eerie for Macbeth. I didn't notice it much once the show was going, but it gave me something to take pictures of.