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With
all its murders, bloodshed, witchcraft and focus on the dark side
of humanity, Shakespeare's Macbeth is a play that lends itself to
the eerie ruins of Wenlock Priory on a summer's evening.
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Macbeth
(Clifford Barry) and Lady Macbeth (Claire Worboys)
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And
the Heartbreak Productions team were up to the job - despite the
fact that there were only seven actors taking part.
What
the acting fraternity refer to as 'the Scottish play' is often placed
in a modern setting, with its tyrannical central character modelled
on a Hitler or a Stalin, but this staging takes a more orthodox
approach.
For
the unitiated, Macbeth is set in pre-Middle Ages Scotland, the central
character being an ambitious nobleman who owes his allegiance to
King Duncan.
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Three
witches in one
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On
his way home from battle, Macbeth and his companion Banquo come
across three witches, who tell the nobleman he is set for great
things - including to be king.
But
pulling the strings is Macbeth's ambitious wife, who persuades him
to murder King Duncan in his sleep and make himself king.
While
Duncan's son flees to England, Banquo suspects his friend is up
to no good - so he's next in line for the chop.
But
as Macbeth moves to quietly wipe out any opposition, he finds his
conscience is beginning to prey on him.
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Lloyd
Morris plays Banquo, one of the early victims of Macbeth's
treachery
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He
sees bloodstained ghosts of those he has bumped off, while Lady
Macbeth pushes him onwards towards his - and her - eventual destruction.
In
Heartbreak's production, Clifford Barry takes the bull by the horns
and plays the title role in an unsympathetic manner.
This
Macbeth has no redeeming features. He is angry, greedy and self-pitying,
utterly under the control of his seductive and scheming wife (Claire
Worboys), and it's difficult to have any sympathy for him.
And
this version focuses in particular on the struggle between good
and evil in Macbeth's mind.
Done
properly, Macbeth will always produce a fair few genuinely spine-tingling
moments, and Heartbreak's take is no exception. The appearance of
Banquo's gory ghost - see picture - is a prime example.
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And
here he is again, coming back to haunt the man who betrayed
him
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The
fake blood is very much in evidence, and the plentiful mystical
moments were accompanied by plenty of dry ice and haunting original
music by Darren Scott.
But,
unusually, for such a dark play, the Heartbreak production throws
in a few laughs for good measure.
Before
the banquet in during which Banquo's ghost makes his terrifying
appearance before Macbeth, the Holy Man (Stuart Davenport) marches
out in front of the stage to invite the audience to attend and make
a wisecrack or two.
Director
Peter Mimmack apologises to Shakespeare purists in the programme
for editing out and amalgamating some roles in the interests of
economy.
But
this only really shows in the second half as, in gathering darkness,
the climax of the play seems to arrive too soon.
Heartbreak
Productions, who return to Shropshire on August 8 with a performance
of The Comedy of Errors at Shrewsbury Castle, do well in bringing
Shakespeare to outdoor locations on a minimal budget - they get
no national funding.
Despite
this, the production is slick - props, costumes and the set were
well done and innovative.
And
the location of the stage itself, in the ruins of the Abbey Church
with the south transept rising dramatically to the right, helped
to add atmosphere to the occasion.
The
cast coped well with their multiple roles and performances were
excellent all round. And judging by the reaction of the audience,
it went down well.
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