Macbeth Review

SO I WENT to see Macabeth on Sunday at the Théâtre National de Nice -- a beautiful complex near the old part of town. I won't go into too much detail but there are a few things worth noting:

1. the answer is 'Mac-bess' -- that's how the actors dealt with the 'th' issue. Macbeth becomes Macbess.
2. a very small, intimate theater with only about 250 seats. We were in row three so we were very close to the action at times.
3. a fair amount of nudity -- something I was warned about.
4. a very interesting experience visually (no, I'm not talking about the nudity, Jim). At several points in the play one of the actors had a portable video camera and was filming the action -- which was then being showed in black and white on a large screen behind the action. Quite intriguing.
5. only 7 actors in the entire play, meaning that characters played several roles. Not only that, but the role of Lady Macbeth was played by two different women (perhaps symbolizing her character evolution?)
6. Macduff's son is played as mentally retarded. Very tough scene to watch -- mainly because the actors were so convincing. (Thoughts on this interpretation?)
7. Completely in French, of course. Though I know the work quite well there were still parts that were very difficult for me because -- as typical in Shakespear productions -- the company took some liberties. I had a hard time at those points.
8. Brilliant, dynamic, passionate acting from everyone. Macbeth was terrific.
9. Perhaps a bit long and drawn out. As a colleague of mine siad, he couldn't wait for Macbeth to die.

I asked a French students if she had read the play in French and she said yes. She also told me she thought it was quite a bit easier to read in French because there is little attempt to 'copy' Shakespeare. No iambic pentameter. No attempt at rhyme. Only an attempt to recreate the archaic language.

I'll see my students in class tomorrow so I can ask them what they thought of it.

CJS