‘Macbeth’: Something wretched this way comes

‘MACBETH’: Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga & cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

MACBETH
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam Gold
Through July 10, 2022
Longacre Theatre
220 West 48th Street
New York, NY
(212-239-6200), www.MacbethBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Director Sam Gold contemporized, bastardized and overblew the 2019 revival of Shakespeare’s King Lear with Glenda Jackson. He is now minimalizing beyond recognition this epic debacle, Macbeth, so there should be a law that director Sam Gold must never be allowed to come near another Shakespeare play for fear of criminally destroying yet another classic.

Lord, spare us from false prophets and pretentious “visionary” directors who think they have new ideas to infuse into classic Shakespeare for new audiences. Sitting through this version of Macbeth, in almost complete darkness, except for the use of flashlights, green and red blinding laser lights, and a handheld bright light torch under Lady Macbeth’s chin in her hallucinated state, one can’t help but wonder—what the hell is going on here? It is hard enough traversing through gender-bending roles, and then having these players play multiple characters in the same outfits and try to disseminate who they are at that moment. Then you have to ask why is everyone doing different accents? Also why are there so many distracting sound effects? There is absolutely no cohesion.

I’ll fast-track it for you: Macbeth (Daniel Craig) and Banquo (Amber Gray) have defeated Scottish rebels in a civil war. On the way back, they encounter a coven of witches (who are always making soup and scrambled eggs—please, don’t ask— and also play various other roles). The witches tell Macbeth he will be the Thane of Cawdor and then be King of Scotland. Duncan, the current King of Scotland, rewards Macbeth with the title of Thane of Cawdor. Poor Duncan comes to the Macbeth’s home to celebrate the end of the civil war, only to be murdered by them. Then Banquo gets murdered. Macbeth gets haunted by the ghost of Banquo and starts ranting. More prophecies: Lady Macbeth (Ruth Negga) who’s been sleepwalking and hallucinating, goes mad with guilt and claims “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten these little hands” and kills herself. MacDuff (Grantham Coleman), friend of old King Duncan, avenges him by killing Macbeth, and crowns Malcolm (Asia Kate Dillon) Duncan’s son, as the rightful heir to Scotland.

With such minimalism, and a mostly bare stage, you would think you are watching the third day of rehearsal of a college production. With so much ranting and raving, the same actors in different characters overacting, it makes the dreadful 2013 version of Macbeth with Ethan Hawke at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre seem like a masterpiece.

If you are still inclined to see this Macbeth because of Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga, I urge you to watch the 2021 film The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington first, just to give you a sense of what’s going on here.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published June 2, 2022

‘MACBETH’: Ruth Negga. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘MACBETH: Maria Dizzia, Daniel Craig & Amber Gray. Photo: Joan Marcus.