Lady Macbeth Uncut is a new feminist reinterpretation of the famous Shakespeare tragedy, Macbeth. Adapted by Catriona Clancy and directed by Emma Copland, this new adaptation takes a unique and intelligent perspective on Macbeth, by interrogating and dissecting the real life historical figures.
Drawing parallels from Gruoch (the actual Lady Macbeth that inspired the events of Shakespeare's play), Lady Macbeth Uncut starts with Gruoch and Macbeth's first meeting following the violent murderous rampage on her family. Escaping with only her life and her three friends, dubbed informally as the weird sisters who later become the trio of witches, Gruoch/Lady Macbeth's bloodlust and ambition for the crown is expertly planted from the very start. The play closely follows the events of Shakespeare's Macbeth, with Lady Macbeth and Macbeth committing a series of murders to ascend to the throne, only to pay the price of this power.
Although the play successfully reinvents Lady Macbeth and the witches, with a stronger presence, it would be impossible not to draw comparisons with Shakespeare's play, for this production uses the original text. Whilst the lines have been reassigned, and divided amongst this smaller cast, the poetic language remains intact and as enthralling as ever. Even the original scenes with dialogues written by Clancy, lean into the language, merely expanding Shakespeare's text to include more backstory and context.
Lady Macbeth Uncut boasts a strong and powerful reclaiming of femininity and sisterhood in this play, along with providing Lady Macbeth the opportunity to feel more developed. The weird sisters enjoy playing into the stereotype of older women being witches, and choose to use this hidden persona to help guide the story to aid Lady Macbeth's mission, rather than a spiritual prophecy. Lady Macbeth, in turn, trusts the weird sisters to not only aid and attend to her, but confides in them as the long and loyal comrades that they are. This relationship and reclaiming of story, stereotype and power enables Lady Macbeth Uncut to be a brilliant piece of writing.
However, the play is let down by it's heavy pacing. The first act packs in a hefty portion of the Shakespearean tragedy along with several newly written scenes. Despite this act only being 70 minutes, the audience are bombarded with information, which also includes introductions to many new characters, several of whom are played by the same cast member. Even if one were familiar with the text, the play at time felt more like a piece of academic and intellectual writing as opposed to a straightforward piece of theatre. The second act finds its footing, and leans into more theatrical elements and performance than exposition.
This, however, does not reflect on the performances or staging, both of which are of great quality. The cast do an admirable job, especially Clancy, who along with being the playwright, plays Lady Macbeth. Her actions are lit with a cold fire and steely determination, resulting in a ironclad performance that brings out the best in this new adaptation. Emmy Happisburgh, Sally Sharp and Maggie Saunders appear as the three witches, along with other characters, and they are committed to the role. With a natural connection between them, they create a sense of mystery and wonder well, along with a keen stance of friendship.
Michael Ohren does well as Macbeth, taking on the massive role with ease and really capturing the slow descent into madness. Alex Walton, JT Stocks and Alexander Smith do well in their limited stage presence, providing moving and emotional performances that contrast well to the otherwise more rigid and sombere characters.
The staging (Najia Alavi) is quite minimal, with a beige threadbare cloth hung as a back wall, that is layered in various shades and sizes of similar cloth. Costumes (Alavi) are a mix of modern hiking and wilderness gear (a coat that later doubles up as an armour) for Macbeth, and long flowy dresses for Lady Macbeth. The witches are in similar attire to Lady Macbeth, with a translucent veil dotted with crisp autumn leaves when they transform into witches. The use of glittery headbands and sashes for crowns was a clever idea that works well.
Lady Macbeth Uncut is a play that works exceedingly well on paper, but doesn't quite ring as powerful on stage, yet is ultimately a profound adaption of Macbeth in its own right. It is currently playing at the Drayton Arms Theatre until the 26th of October. For tickets and more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Alex Walton
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