A Review of Out of Chaos’s Macbeth

Macbeth must be one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays. We all know the story, many of us having studied it at school, and as such when a production team decides to stage the tragedy a question must be asked about how this one will be different. In the case of Out of Chaos’ performance at the Oxford Playhouse, the answer is blindingly obvious: a two hander. It is a bold choice to perform a play of such a large ensemble with merely two people and could quite easily have appeared messy, yet here it is clear that every scene and character has been carefully thought out. Characterisation is key.

Playing out the story of this Scottish king upon a bare stage could have been visually uninteresting; however, at no point do you find yourself bemoaning the lack of set, or even really noticing. Instead, the story is brought to life through a strong use of lighting, designer Ashley Bale relying on bold block colours to create atmosphere. This, coupled with the powerful (though at times sparing) soundscape, is the perfect backdrop against which these two actors bounce between characters with a confidence and finesse that allows the audience to be certain at all times who is speaking. In addition, the decision has been made to include stage directions in certain places, in particular when referring to characters entering and exiting the space. This allows the cast to add an element of clarity within their multi-rolling and often provides an element of humour. In fact, the entire show leans more towards the humorous than the tragic, leaning into the absurdity of moments and adding comedy wherever possible. This felt like an interesting take on the typically serious play, but was not wholly unwelcome. It added the feel of a summer outdoor play to the whole affair.

Key to the success of this play is the efficiency of the multi-rolling, actors Paul O’Mahony and Hannah Barrie taking on a broad range of characters in their attempt to tell this story. Both actors display a strong grasp of the challenge that director Mike Tweddle has set for them, competently and persuasively bringing the various characters to life. However, in those moments where it is simply impossible to bring the scenes to life with two actors, voice overs are utilised. This is particularly noteworthy in the scenes concerning the witches and these moments are some of the most inspired of the show. Yet, also, and perhaps more memorably, the audience is enlisted as cast members. At some points Barrie even sat on the edge of the stage to perform Banquo. This breaking of the fourth wall adds an element of inclusivity to the performance but also further increases the humour of the play.

This entire performance is a wonderful lesson in characterisation, acting as a masterclass in how to create characters which are recognisable in an instant and completely individual. Overall, it is a solid show, providing a new and interesting take on the classic play while not revolutionising the world of Shakespeare performances. While I was glad to have seen it, it unfortunately did not convince me to finally fall in love with the story. It did, however, allow me to appreciate quite how much haze it is possible to pump into a space though!

Image courtesy of Oxford Playhouse