Retelling an iconic Shakespearean work without (many) words is a highly ambitious undertaking. Luckily for us, West Australian Ballet (WAB), as co-produced with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, assembled a powerhouse team to make it happen. And boy did they deliver. The result? An edgy and completely modern reimagining that is nuanced, multi-layered and so clever that you could watch it three times and glean something different from each viewing.
Photo by Sergey Pevnev
Choreographer Alice Topp’s Macbeth tells a tale of political ambition, violence and betrayal set in modern times. The king is replaced with a president, and the Weird Sisters replaced by influencers – a witty decision – after all, there is no denying the sway influencers have over public opinion, much like the three witches in Macbeth planted the seeds of ambition that ultimately led to his downfall.
I enjoyed that the show was peppered with enough Easter eggs to make a literature buff happy. There were subtle nods to the religious symbolism that is rife in Shakespeare’s original work – beginning with the first scene where the influencers depicted crucifixion in their choreography, like the false messiahs they would prove to be.
Also, Da Vinci’s The Last Supper imagery featured prominently, both in President Duncan’s (Gakuro Matsui) assassination during the feast with his poisoned drink (poisoned chalice), and Macbeth’s (Charles Dashwood) subsequent very symbolic replacement of Duncan’s/Jesus’ position in the next scene. And of course during the banquet scene, where Banquo’s ghost appears, said imagery features again. It is a clever visual thread stitching Shakespeare’s Christian undertones into every major turning point of the story, with a subtlety that makes it feel right within the secular political setting of this story.
Consciously choosing “gender blindness” within the casting was also a big fist-pumping yes. By substituting a male influencer as one of the three Weird Sisters (danced on this night by Brent Carson, Polly Hilton and Asja Petrovski), the narrative of the “evil force” being solely feminine in nature was effectively flipped. I also appreciate the casting of a non-masculine Banquo on other nights (although cast on this night as Jurgen Rahimi), and I am curious as to how the change in dynamic would land.
Visually, Jon Buswell’s set, lighting and special effects were satisfyingly on point (en pointe?). Right from the get-go, our attention was captured with the scrim and smoke, and snappy quotes projected onto this combination, making the words “Something wicked this way comes” appear on a literal smokescreen. Every quote thereafter delineated important events, and served as a nice touch.
The way in which the iconic scene was handled, where Lady Macbeth (Alexa Tuzil) washes her blood-soaked hands – “Out, damned spot! out I say!” – was brilliant. The projection of the blood droplets onto the white clawfoot tub, slowly turning it red, powerfully portrays this moment of psychological unravelling, guilt made devastatingly and inescapably visual. The split stage was also very effective in creating more “stage”, with the audience seeing two separate levels at the same time.
Most impressive was the deceptively minimalist set. Yet, upon closer inspection, you pick up on the details – like the backdrop that resembles armour: at the start it is shiny and unblemished, and then gradually showing chinks – rusted and decayed, much like the integrity of the characters themselves.
Christopher Gordon’s score was a revelation – sexy, provocative and wholly devastating towards the end. The mix of live string musicians from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as well as recorded performers on electric guitars, drums, synthesizers and electronics, provided a rich, textured contrast.
And of course the magnificent cast completely sold it. Newly promoted soloist Charles Dashwood performed a very nuanced Macbeth, at first the golden boy of the political world, who then makes questionable, violent choices and slowly descends into madness, led by his guilt. Combined with his natural athleticism and precise partnerwork between himself and the amazing Alexa Tuzil’s Lady Macbeth, they made Alice Topp’s demanding choreography seem effortless.
The influencers, solo artist Polly Hilton, newly promoted leading artist Brent Carson and artist Asja Petrovski, were appropriately creepy – playing their role to perfection. Their glee at documenting Macbeth’s very public breakdown during the final banquet was very on brand.
Dramatic, edgy and unapologetic, WAB’s Macbeth will have you captivated from the start, right up to young Fleance’s final mic drop ending. Curtain falls. Mic dropped. Point made.
Macbeth is running until 19th September at HIs Majesty’s Theatre