Writer: William Shakespeare
Director: Geoff O’Keeffe
The plays of William Shakespeare are some of the most performed plays all over the world. They are performed through different mediums, in a range of interpretations and in many languages. To stand out among these productions, large and small, is a hard task. The Mill Theatre’s production feels very much like ‘just another production of Macbeth’. There was really nothing special or unique about it. However, it was devised as a production for schools and in that regard, it serves its purpose.
A simplistic ‘industrial’ set by Ronán Duffy sets the scene for the play. Nothing ground-breaking but it’s an effective set design to mirror the themes in the play. Lots of concrete, steel and an impressive ‘blasted through’ hole in one wall which was used for entrances and exits. At some points, the theatre aisles were used for characters to run up and down. The use of theatre aisles can be very effective and was used fairly well here, if perhaps somewhat overdone.
Giving the benefit of the doubt, that contemporising the costuming of the show was to appeal to young people, it was mostly well done by costume designer Toni Bailey, with the exception of the utterly bizarre choice to dress Lady Macbeth in a Juicy couture tracksuit. Most characters were dressed in clothes that denoted their social class or position, which although simplistic, makes sure that the audience understands who the bad, good and powerful characters are. The witches were dressed in clothing covered in plastic and the resulting rustling often made it difficult to hear what they were saying. The addition of hurls to the battle scenes compounds the unusual choices made in this production.
Generally speaking, the performances by the actors are well done and thought out. There was a little stiffness, particularly when delivering longer monologues. There were two stand out performances in this show and Michael Drake as Macbeth showed excellent potential. Macbeth is a difficult role to take on and his interpretation was easily understood and exciting to watch. A wonderful comedic actor who played the porter was a delight to watch. Her use of facial expressions and body language throughout drew the eye and provided vital comic relief.
This production of Macbeth is entirely effective for its intended purpose, to help Leaving Certificate students understand the play. It’s not new or ground-breaking, but it is an accessible production that can be understood and followed.
Runs Until 24th Oct 2025.
