Macbeth: Imitating The Dog – The Lowry, Salford.

Writer: William Shakespeare

Adaptation and Director: Andrew Quick & Pete Brooks

It almost seems inevitable that Imitating The Dog company would take on a work of William Shakespeare. They have a history of taking on great works of cinema or literature, including Dracula and Heart of Darknessand turning them into immersive, live-action Neo-noir style comic books. The blend of live performance and video projection has paid dividends for them, with commercial and critical success.

So now it’s the turn of The Bard’sMacbeth to receive the same treatment in this bold, full-throttle retelling which attempts to find a balance between a faithful adaptation and a contemporary update, which sadly it doesn’t always hit the mark.

Most noticeably there are a few changes to the script. First of all, the action has shifted from the rugged, dreich Scottish wilderness to a nameless concrete jungle, a grim cityscape riddled with drugs and violence. The guides for this tale of treachery are the three witches, (Laura Atherton, Stefan Chanyaem, and Matt Prendergast) who narrate, play various characters, and operate the cameras. All done in clown make-up (very similar to that of Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight), a fact they gleefully reveal within minutes of the start of the performance.

Throughout, the dialogue is a hybrid of Shakespeare’s classic text, mixed with cultural references and a great deal of expletives. There are also changes to the narrative, with a back story added to explain why the Macbeth’s are the way they are. Numerous other elements are tinkered with and for those familiar with the play, the script subverts your expectations and brings some freshness to the proceedings.

What does remain the same is the beating heart of the story, that of greed and a lust for power. As Macbeth (Benjamin Westerby) and Lady Macbeth (Maia Tamrakar), or Lady M as she is referred to, scratch and claw their way up the ladder of a crime syndicate, fronted by Duncan. As the body count rises so does Macbeth’s ascension to the top, and their inevitable fall from grace.

While the creative team should be applauded for this brave retelling, it doesn’t always work. The five-strong cast are superb throughout: with Westerby and Tamrakar giving cold, clinical turns as the power-hungry couple; there is a brooding, simmering tension between the pair. Atherton, Chanyaem and Prendergast bring a touch of mischief and menace to proceedings, as well as being a commanding stage presence. They work tirelessly, transitioning from narration to camera operation, and all five actors are on stage throughout the production’s running time.

In part what this reviewer could see of the visuals, looked stunning, clearly drawing inspiration from Frank Miller’s Sin City and the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. However, from my vantage point one of the screens was blocked, which was quite frustrating leading me to miss a great deal of the visual representation.

In addition some of the script alterations seemed unnecessary, certainly the overuse of profanity at times seemed excessive. At points the play felt like a straight to DVD British gangster movie you’d pick up in the late 90’s and 00’s.

Those expecting a faithful adaptation will be more than surprised, however, for those wanting to see a version of Macbeth with the action cranked up to 11 this is the adaptation for you.

Runs until 11th March 2023