KATE HERBERT Arts Weekly 3MBS SAT 15 FEB 2025

In this radio spot, I review Macbeth by Australian Shakespeare Company, at Botanical Gardens in Melbourne until 28 Feb 2025. 

This is a very short chat with Nick Tolhurst.

Macbeth REVIEW Australian Shakespeare Co. 7 Feb 2025 **** (4)

 

THEATRE

Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Australian Shakespeare Company

At Botanical Gardens. Melbourne until 28 Feb 2025

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ****

This review is published only on this blog. I’ll present a radio review on Arts Weekly on 3MBS on Sat 15 Feb 2024. KH

Hugh Sexton (Standing as Macbeth) with Company - Macbeth - Photo by Ben Fon.

 

In Glenn Elston’s gritty, outdoor production of Shakespeare’s dark and tragic play, Hugh Sexton delivers a magnetic and commanding performance as Macbeth, a formidable military general in the Scottish King Duncan’s army. Sexton’s portrayal is both powerful and credible, capturing Macbeth’s initial nobility and his subsequent descent into paranoia and madness with remarkable intensity.

 

Staging a production of Macbeth outdoors, without the usual theatrical trappings, presents its own set of challenges, particularly in maintaining the play’s dark and oppressive tone. Yet, Elston creates a production that is atmospheric, dynamic, and emotionally gripping. The raw, open-air setting paradoxically enhances the play’s intimacy and the psychological turmoil of its characters.

 

The play opens with Macbeth returning victorious from battle, having successfully led the Scottish forces to triumph over the Norwegians. Alongside his trusted companion, Banquo (Johnny Light), he stumbles upon the three witches (Maddie Somers, Elizabeth Brennan, Henny Walters) who greet them with chilling prophecies. They predict that Macbeth will first be named Thane of Cawdor and then ascend to the throne as King of Scotland. This supernatural encounter sets in motion a relentless and tragic spiral, as the prophecy fuels Macbeth’s insatiable ambition that is further stoked by his calculating and equally driven wife, Lady Macbeth, played with passion by Nicole Nabout.

 

Elston’s direction moves the production at a gripping pace, emphasising the urgency of Macbeth’s journey. His vision transforms the open-air stage into a foreboding and treacherous battlefield with a pervading atmosphere of tension and dread. The eerie backdrop of trees in the Royal Botanic Gardens, the fading natural light and Karla Ehrenbots’ grungy yet intricate costume designs all contribute to the haunting mood. The bleak, grey-toned set design reinforces the pervasive sense of doom. Violence and treachery seem inevitable.

 

Paul Norton’s music is both evocative and unsettling. The wailing of the wind, occasional piercing screams of bats flying overhead and even unexpected shrieks of passers-by outside the gardens all merge into an eerie, unpredictable soundscape, heightening the tension and amplifying the sense of impending doom and Macbeth’s inevitable tragic downfall.

 

Hugh Sexton and Nicole Nabout - MACBETH - Photo by Ben Fon

Sexton’s Macbeth shifts from a respected, courageous soldier to a murderous and paranoid ruler, and finally to a broken, tormented soul. His physical and psychological unravelling is both compelling and deeply tragic. Nabout complements him effectively, capturing Lady Macbeth’s ruthless ambition and, later, her profound psychological collapse with nuance and energy.

 

The supporting cast is uniformly strong, delivering performances that enhance the play’s dramatic weight. A standout moment is the climactic sword fight between Macbeth and Macduff (Jackson McGovern), choreographed with precision and energy by Scott Jackson. This confrontation, charged with fury and desperation, serves as a fittingly brutal climax to Macbeth’s ill-fated reign.

 

Through its bold direction, striking visuals, and commanding performances, this production of Macbeth breathes life into the timeless tragedy and is a testament to the power of Shakespeare’s text and of a well-judged outdoor performance.

 

By Kate Herbert

 

 

Cast

Hugh Sexton Macbeth

Nicole Nabout -Lady Macbeth

Maddie Somers-1st Witch

Elizabeth Brennan - 3rd Witch & Macduff's Wife

Henny Walters – Witch

Johnny Light - Banquo

Jackson McGovern -Macduff

Callum O’Malley - Donalbain & 1st Murderer

Dion Mills-Duncan & Doctor

 Anna Burgess – Malcolm

Kevin Hopkins - Lennox

Eleanor Timms - Macduff's daughter / Fleance

Claire Duncan -Messenger

Larissa Teale – Onstage Cover

Luke Lennox- Porter & 2nd Murderer

Alex Cooper- Ross

Tony Rive -Sergeant & Seyton

Scott Middleton -Young Siward

 

Creative Team

Glen Elston  Director

Paul Norton Musical Director

Costume Design | Karla Erenbots

Flight Choreographer | Scott Jackson

Production Manager | Peter Amesbury

Stage Manager | Sophie Walter

 

 

KATE HERBERT Arts Weekly Radio reviews 3MBS SAT 01 FEB 2025

In this radio spot on Sat 1 Feb 2025, the first for 2025, I talk with Nick Tolhurst about the musical, Dear Evan Hansen, and about 37, a play by Nathan Maynard performing at MTC until 22 Feb 2025. 

Nick talks briefly about Shirley Valentine with Natalie Basingthwaite at Athenaeum Theatre. Click link to hear audio only.

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