Young reviewer CHRIS CONWAY gives his take on the latest RSC production of Macbeth, at Newcastle’s Northern Stage BURSTING on to the stage with gallons of enthusiasm and sending a tremendous fright rippling through the audience, appeared the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Macbeth. Made up of a cast of 18 actors, each one helped the night’s excitement develop using their unique acting skills to favoured works. The story throughout focuses on what is presented by director Connall Morrison to be a theme of revenge, with three witches plaguing Macbeth with sinister and tyrannical ideals, and coaxing him into acting upon them, all because their family’s deaths were at Macbeth’s hands. These sinister ideas implanted upon Macbeth cause the brutal murder of Duncan, the King of Scotland, in an attempt to seize the throne and the slaughtering of his closest ally, Banquo, both of which are carried out with little remorse by Macbeth. The play then revolves around the consequences of these actions, in particular the guilt that begins to gradually eat away inside Macbeth, and also the response these actions prompt from those around him. One character particularly affected by Macbeth’s actions is his wife, Lady Macbeth – played exceptionally by Derbhle Crotty – so much so that later on in the play she takes her own life, driven wild by guilt. Connall Morrison, who is controversial in presenting the story, obviously knew exactly how he wanted the classic play to unfold, and this is probably one of the most brutal, and unflinching Shakespeare plays I have ever seen. The raping of Lady Macduff, even though handled carefully, is still brutal and utterly grotesque; helping to add a 21st Century edge to classic Shakespeare. Patrick O’Kane, who plays Macbeth, is outstanding and does an amazing job in depicting his gradual descent into tyrannical paranoia, which ultimately leads to his downfall, without even so much as flinching in delivering what are considered to be some challenging lines. One actor who did disappoint was Sam Cox, playing Lennox, simply because he appeared wooden in the delivery of his lines and didn’t seem at all enthused in playing his part, making his scenes rather dismal. But the play was excellent, even though a little controversial at times, and really rejuvenated one of Shakespeare’s best. Macbeth is next at Northern Stage on September 8, 13, 14 and 15. | 
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