Macbeth review

Modern reimaginings of Shakespeare are more common these days than traditional productions. Just last year, a casually dressed Daniel Craig tackled Macbeth on Broadway, and in 2019 the Royal Exchange gave us Lucy Ellinson in futuristic military fatigues. So, attempts to breathe fresh life into Shakespeare’s tale of murderous ambition have to work hard to be visible. Aptly, Imitating the Dog is a company that has made its name standing out from the pack: its well-received offerings have included a multimedia remix of Dracula and shot-for-shot recreation of Night of the Living Dead. But although there is much to commend this touring production, co-directors and adapters Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks throw a little bit too much into the mix.

Their take is filmic and ultra-violent, presenting Macbeth as a low-level gangster making his way through the ranks of a Yakuza-like crime syndicate in a Blade Runner-style city. Simon Wainwright’s bombastic stage designs and floor-to-ceiling video projections make a substantial impact. Car crashes and dingy, neon-lit locations are recreated effectively, while mobile cameras – operated by the cast – throw striking tableaus and close-ups on to the screens. James Hamilton and Rory Howson’s sound designs are also suitably propulsive, especially during Macbeth’s climactic knife fight with Macduff.