Review: THE MACBETHS, Citizens Theatre

Dominic Hill's 2017 acclaimed adaptation of The Macbeths which took place in the Citizens Theatre's intimate circle studio has been filmed and released for online streaming.

After returning from battle, Macbeth hears a prophecy telling him to murder and betray to gain power as King. Encouraged by his ruthless wife, the story unfolds in their marital bedroom as the pair passionately deliver Shakespeare's text. Flawlessly performed by Charlene Boyd and Keith Fleming, the exchange between them is all-consuming and almost exhausting to watch.

Beautifully filmed by Urbancroft Films, the production is mostly in black and white but the blood is unmistakable. The lighting from Stuart Jenkins makes this dark and haunting film a real treat to watch.

While I enjoyed studying Macbeth at school, I've never seen a stage production of the play for the embarrassing reason that I'm too scared. Streamed theatre is excellent for many access reasons and in this case, I found it the ideal format to watch an intense, brutal and bloody production of a story that I do actually enjoy.

At 60 minutes run time, this is a compact and thrilling film that works well as both an introduction to Shakespeare and offers a bold re-imagining for those more familiar with the staged production.

The film is free to watch online from 8pm Thursday 3 June until midnight on Wednesday 30 June.

Visit themacbethsfilm.co.uk to book your free watch at home ticket.

Photo credit: Alan Peebles

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