"Macbeth," Shakespeare's tale of political ambition and tragedy, is a timeless classic that seems to remain relevant every passing year. This remains true even until the tail end of this year because, in this month alone, two separate adaptations of the Shakespearean play simultaneously went on the show and featured their unique spin.
One of the two "Macbeths" of this holiday season is Ralph Fiennes, who recently headlined "The Menu" and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar." The production Fiennes stars in is still running in the Depot Theater in Liverpool but will play its last show in the city this Wednesday, Dec. 20, before it moves to Edinburgh and Washington next year.
The other production is held at the Donmar Warehouse location in London, starring the famed "Doctor Who," David Tenant, in a theatrical run that will last until Feb. 10, 2024. This latter adaptation features a high-concept execution as opposed to the more grounded approach of the former, with its conventional and realist execution.
Such themes within the respective adaptations are extended by the two leading actors' contrasting portrayals of the titular King of Scotland. For one, Fiennes' iteration of the role is menacing and overtly gloomy, and on the other hand, Tennant's version is rooted in "worry" and is more dynamic in his movements.
What is 'Macbeth' About?
Although the two adaptations have markedly differing approaches, the plot will be familiar to anyone who was exposed to the original work in some way. As all iterations of "Macbeth" go, the story is initiated when three future-reading witches tell "Macbeth" that he will someday become the King of Scotland.
After being encouraged by "Lady Macbeth," respectively played by Indira Varma and Cush Jumbo in the two productions, "Macbeth" kills the reigning monarch "Duncan," exiling the murdered king's next-of-kin to seize the crown for himself.
As the narrative progresses, he carries out more killings in an effort to cover his tracks and in the process develops an all-consuming guilt. "Lady Macbeth" soon suffers the same fate despite telling her husband to soldier on, succumbing to her conscience and eventually taking her own life.
Two Branching Versions of the Same Classic from Shakespeare
In the Fiennes production, the cast is dressed up in modern military uniform and present-day casual attire, a juxtaposition that hammers down its pointed depiction of authoritarian politics. These dramatics were further enhanced by the adaptation's employment of skillfully executed visual effects, namely the smoke used as the three witches exited the stage.
In contrast, the adaptation that Tenant stars in chooses a more "compact" and intimate aesthetic, especially with the utilization of headphones and headsets that both the audience and actors wore to digitally project the vocal performance directly.
To add, the latter performance's cast attire was visually abstract, owing to the vision of Rosanna Vize, the set and costume designer for the Donmar production. Specifically, most of the actors wore monochrome articles of clothing comprising turtlenecks, vests, and collarless jackets. One exception was "Lady Macbeth's" white dress that was snugly fit to her.
Both portrayals of "Macbeth" also each had a noticeably different "feel" and "form." With Fiennes, his power-hungry monarch is more bear-framed in appearance, and thus his inner turmoil seems to bubble out to the surface in a much more subtle manner.
In Tennant's case, his "Macbeth" is more slim-looking and much more "unforthcoming" and has higher performative and emotional peaks than his contemporary. In other words, he is more "chaotic" right from the start.
In either case, both of these productions still convey the legacy narrative that has persisted for centuries, despite the differing elements that they uniquely incorporated. These two adaptations may feel fresh, but both of it is still genuine Shakespearean experiences.
