Macbeth

Published Wednesday 9 September 2009 at 12:25 by Pat Ashworth

Here is living proof that you don’t have to dumb Shakespeare down to make children understand him. This is as thrilling a production of Macbeth as I’ve seen and a lively audience of ten-year olds at Mansfield Palace simply loved it.

It makes the story plain but it doesn’t lose the poetry. So the stars are still instructed to hide their fires and Macbeth can still reflect on all our yesterdays. It doesn’t leave lines out for modesty’s sake, either, so although there’s a bit of a giggle at Lady Macbeth’s reference to babies and nipples, they already understand the chilling lengths to which she will go for power.

Contemporary musical numbers reinforce key stages of the plot in what is a brilliant murder story. Better Leave it Up to Me, taunts Lady Macbeth. Banquo Must Go, sings Macbeth. Exuberant Celtic dances convey national pride and why kingship matters so much here.

Jason Lee Scott gets harder and leaner as Macbeth, Emma Odell has a striking stage presence as Lady Macbeth and Noel Andrew Harron makes an outrageous Porter. He engages the children with knock-knock jokes and wets his pants, and they absolutely love him.

The fixed set has displays indicating the location of each scene. Every element of what makes live Shakespeare so powerful is here, from the drumbeats, sword fights and advancing armies, to the stomping witches, the knockabout and the gore. It gives children a real appetite for the Bard and they’re certain to be back for more.