Review: JOB-SIDE PRODUCTIONS RESURRECTED WITH CROUCH’S I, BANQUO at Job-Side Productions Jobsite
Local Area Favorite Blake Smallen, a Jobsite Ensemble Member, is truly exquisite.
British Playwright Tim Crouch has tackled the tale of Macbeth’s friend and ultimate cohort with I, Banquo, a 40-minute one-man tour-de-force that is a dramatic retelling of the famous Scottish Play from the perspective of Banquo’s Ghost.
Banquo appears troubled throughout the piece, and cannot seem to come to terms with Macbeth’s actions. Realizing the enormity of the situation, he uses an almost lyrical cadence, that should events have changed would have place him in the central narrative. Crouch’s piece written in an almost lyrical prose, has a sing-song type delivery encapsulated in Banquo’s often used phrase, “It could’ve been me...” He takes us through a not so chronological recap of the events of Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece all the while personifying the ghost of his once human form. From the very start we see his throat slashed, and as he tells the story he dips his hands into cauldrons of blood, smearing it about the playspace and on his person.
“... I’m sorry about the mess...”
Blake catapults their performance into superstardom here. Evicserating everything in their wake, they grasp hold of the audience in such a chokehold its impossible to look away. The performance is so dynamic and so visceral, even their eyes lead us down a path unknown, turning the story into an unforgettable chain of events, and a dramatic thrill- ride. The use of the cauldrons of blood to symbolize the Witches is truly grueling and exceptional in rendering.
Director David Valdez pulls out all the stops here and delivers something truly haunting, that I’m still finding myself thinking about the events even days later. The final moments of the performance literally pull every ounce of air from the room, and all that was left was a silence so deafening, it became its own moment.
I for one am so excited about the resurrection of the Job-Side production platform, and what a way to usher in the resurrgence with I, Banquo. If you have never experienced the work of one of the finest young performers in our area, then consider taking the time to purchase tickets anytime they are on the stage. For it would be an extreme disservice to yourself to find out you missed a chance to be in the room, in the same space as a truly magnificent performer, in Blake Smallen. A masterclass of work from a distinguished individual that I will move mountains to see no matter what. I, Banquo has since closed on Monday May 18, 2026. Set in a dysatopian world, this play dives deeper into the themes of Macbeth: Ambition, Power, Betrayal, and Fate. Tickets were purchased via www.strazcenter.org
PHOTO CREDIT: NOA FRIEDMAN
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