Feb 15, 20233 min read

Theatre REVIEW: Macbeth (An Undoing) - ★★★★

Updated: Feb 24, 2023

By Zinnie Harris, in a new version after Shakespeare

‘Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty! Make thick my blood'

This story will be told, the way it has always been told. What use is it otherwise? The hags on the heath. The woman who went mad. The man who became a tyrant.

When her husband returns victorious from the battlefield with a prophecy that he is to become King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth will stop at nothing to make their darkest ambitions a reality. So far, so familiar. But then the story fragments…

In her acclaimed plays This Restless House and The Duchess (of Malfi), Zinnie Harris reimagined classic texts, bringing the perspectives of their female characters centre stage. Shakespeare’s iconic Lady Macbeth is ruthless and driven, unstoppable in her pursuit of power, yet she quickly descends into madness and despair. Harris' thrilling new version undoes the story we know, and remakes it, examining Lady Macbeth’s trajectory asking if we have really heard the whole story.

A Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh production.

Where?

Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh until 25th February

WEBSITE

MIX UP REVIEWS:

Ailie (Age 13) - ★★★★

"Macbeth (An Undoing) was a really good show. I really liked the costume design because when Lady Macbeth kept getting blood on her dresses I wondered how that got there. I would rate it 4 stars because the set design and acting were impressive but it was a bit too long for me. Overall it was a fun and interesting play."

Beth (Age 16) - ★★★★

"I really enjoyed this twist on the classic shakespeare play, reinventing the tale from the perspective of Lady Macbeth. Amazing acting and use of costume, and very interesting to see a comedic/modern take on the tragedy in some parts while maintaining the themes of insanity and tyranny!"

Alex (Age 18) - ★★★★★

"This show was amazing.the staging, lighting and the use of fog made every scene so mysterious and wondering what will happen next. As well the witches breaking the fourth wall telling the actors that the performance is almost over and they must finish the story the way it was always meant to end. As well in the end the blood coming out after the 2 actors being stabbed looked very believable. Over all I say this is a 5 star show and I highly recommend it"

Xander (Age 14) - ★★★★

"I thought it had a good mix of comedic and dark moments. I like how Malcolm was being a grumpy teenager most of the time. The show had a few scary and weird bits and plot was not very difficult to follow for someone that has never seen Macbeth before but there was a few confusing bits but I think that was just me. Overall the show was very entertaining and the performances were excellent."

Daniel (Age 13) - ★★

"Firstly I’d like to say that the acting was great and I was overall very impressed with the actors. But I did feel that it was very hard to follow the plot and a day later and I’m still not really sure what happened. It was also very long with the final runtime coming at about 3 hours. If I had to pick one then Macbeth would probably be my favourite because he had the best actor.

Overall this was a show with good acting but it was hard to follow, long and sometime boring."

Stewart - ★★★★★

"A thrilling production of one of Shakespeare's finest plays but adapted and redeveloped with an almighty twist by Zinnie Harris. The entire cast are fantastic with a powerhouse turn from Nicole Cooper in the lead as Lady MacBeth. Staging is fantastic, blood appears unexpectedly throughout and there's nice twists on the characters and storyline. The epic length does take it toll towards the end but it's all worth it as this is an unforgettable production."