Macbeth

by William Shakespeare
Singapore Repertory Theatre
Shakespeare in the Park
Fort Canning Park, Singapore

This is Guy Unsworth’s third consecutive production for the Singapore Repertory Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park and it’s a triple whammy for the UK-based director. His productions for the signature outdoor theatrical event combine spectacle and substance but, more importantly, offer a compelling world that draws the audience in. His gender-swapped Julius Caesar was a sleek, political thriller set in R.O.M.E., an intergovernmental organisation similar to the ASEAN or G7. And here, he sets Macbeth not in Scotland but in the imaginary Scoalan, an epic desert landscape inspired by fantasy worlds such as Dune and Star Wars.

Richard Kent’s set consists of reddish-brown columns of varying heights that dominate the sand-filled stage. Echoing the famous Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, it feels both earthly and ethereal, containing numerous passageways and vantage points that create a sense of three-dimensionality as they are populated by the cast. There are even a few surprises in store such as an illuminated floor beneath the sand which forms the backdrop of the various prophecies.

The world-building infuses the entire production. The actors wear modish tunics that blend both Eastern and Western aesthetics. They greet one another with ritualistic hand gestures and chant in an imaginary language. Each production element contributes to the spectacle: Mervin Wong’s haunting music, Lee Ye Jin’s quietly dystopian sound, Gabriel Chan’s dazzling lighting which makes the columns glow like embers and Tan Rui Shan’s slick choreography that engulfs the stage during the dance sequences.

Photo Credit: Singapore Repertory Theatre

It’s perhaps apt that birds play a vital role in the narrative. We see them flapping across the stage, conjured up through Matt’s Hutchinson’s gorgeously rendered puppets manipulated by actors. This only underscores the many avian references in the text: the raven that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, the temple-haunting martlet seen above Macbeth’s castle and the owl that shrieks when the dastardly deed is done. The Weird Sisters (Melissa May Garcia, Vanessa Kee and Inch Chua) themselves resemble omniscient bird-like spirits, flapping their diaphanous shawls from all-seeing roosts.

Ghafir Akbar pours vigour and energy into the title role, conveying the journey of a man forced down a path of no return due to his ambition. His verse is energetic and impactful but where he falters is in handling the soliloquies that buttress the text. One gets the sense that he is perhaps too focused on delivering the lines without thinking through their meaning and giving the audience a clear thread to follow from beginning to end. His "tomorrow, and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech, for instance, does not quite convey the sense of fatalism and pathos one would expect from a man who finds himself cornered from all sides.

Julie Wee, in her seventh Shakespeare in the Park outing, turns in what is possibly a career-best performance as Lady Macbeth. She infuses every single line with a spine-chilling intention and control that make the words linger in our mind long after they are uttered. Her “unsex me here” and “out damned spot” speeches in particular rank amongst the best I have seen. One is left in no doubt that she is the villain behind the entire enterprise who is eventually destroyed by guilt.

Photo Credit: Singapore Repertory Theatre

While the uneven quality of acting has historically been an issue in SRT's Shakespeare in the Park productions, Unsworth has assembled a cast that does a solid job with competent and assured verse-speaking throughout. There are strong turns by veterans such as Daniel Jenkins as Banquo, Andy Tear as Duncan and Shane Mardjuki as Macduff. Even the actors in smaller roles manage to make an impact: Gaby Rae as Lady Macduff, Victoria Mintey as Lennox and Benjamin Koh as Angus.

Unsworth offers a version of Macbeth that is both accessible to those encountering Shakespeare for the first time and theatre regulars. It is indeed impressive that he manages to create such a complete and immersive experience in just slightly over two hours. His edits feel entirely organic and preserve the overall thrust and texture of the play. As someone who has always lamented the dearth of classic theatre in Singapore, this is a production that truly makes me excited for what lies ahead. Will we finally be able to create a Shakespeare production that can hold its own on the world stage? 

This is an audacious, assured and arresting Macbeth that crackles beautifully under the stars.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5