In a co-production between Hull Truck, Bolton Octagon and Derby Theatre, director Mark Babych presents a stark modern interpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy, framing it as a story of ordinary lives spiralling into catastrophe. The play, which starts like an improvisation, captures the opportunistic nature of the tragedy, where a moment of hubris spins out of control.
Oliver Alvin-Wilson plays Macbeth as a modern-day soldier, fresh from the battlefield in camouflage and armed with an automatic weapon. He is tough and professional but not self-seeking, until the witches – portrayed as mix-and-match eccentrics between rough sleepers and zombies – plant the idea of kingship. The taste of ambition is new to him, and he swithers, but eventually hunger for power takes root.
Jo Mousley's Lady Macbeth appears in a maroon jumper and blue opal necklace, exuding suburban plainness. She is an ordinary woman thinking on her feet, and together the couple hatch their murderous plot, taking turns buckling and cajoling. They are well matched, neither born tyrants but an everyday couple taking their chances. The banquet scene resembles a light supper in a mews apartment with lounge-jazz accompaniment, suggesting this could happen to anyone.
Lady Macbeth's sudden madness seems justified by her being out of her depth; she is jittery and not as hard-hearted as she pretends. The production, designed by Rachael Canning with a rusty warehouse set, is lucid and straightforward, GCSE-friendly. While it may not set the pulse racing, it presents in Alvin-Wilson a thoughtful, reflective Macbeth whose good sense is overcome by blunt rage.
