 | Macbeth |  |
"There 's daggers in men's smiles" Act II, scene iv
Written: 1605
Theater Konstanz ; September 30, 2009 Konstanz, Germany
Director : Andrej Woron ; Starring : Michael J. Müller (Macbeth), Otto Edelmann (Duncan), Georg Melich (Malcolm, Murderer), Johannes Merz (Donalbain, Murderer), Thomas Fritz Jung (Banquo), Thomas Ecke (Macduff), Ulrich Blöcher (Lenox), Frank Lettenwitsch (Rosse), Janusz Cichocki (Seyton/Soldier/Porter), Monika Vivell (Lady Macbeth/Witch), Sabrina Strehl (Lady Macduff/Witch), Jana Alexia Rödiger (Gentlewoman/Witch)
Reviewed on : 2009-10-14 10:27:11 ; Reviewed by : Annett Baumast
| Contrary to recent Macbeth experiences in Leipzig and Zurich this year and last, which included handfuls of sand and the odd shell of a peanut that came flying from the stage in my direction, this time, the splashes of water and crumbs of soil weren’t unexpected: just before the performance started a member of staff advised those in the front row (including myself) that we might get our share of water and soil during the course of the performance and offered us different seats. Steeled by past events, I remained strong and in the front row, and my share of water and soil turned out to be negligible.
The soil that covered the ground of the stage together with the water in the large basin set into the front of the stage, however, can very much be taken as symbols of this production of Macbeth in the rather small theatre of Constance (around 400 seats). It is based on Heiner Müller’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s play and virtually stripped down to its core elements. Macbeth and Banquo who open the evening and enter the stage stark naked but entirely covered in blood, introduce the third of the elementary substances: blood, a fluid Macbeth hardly ever can do without. There are no bloody murders to be seen, however. Whenever somebody is killed – and killings are as plentiful as always – a stream of blood gurgles down from the ceiling at the very front of the stage. The murders themselves take place in a multifunctional black cube at the rear centre of the stage that also serves as an entrance and exit to the stage as well as a stage on the stage for the appearances of the witches. It is framed by tall potted plants that later on come in handy as Great Birnam Wood.
Andrej Woron, the director, deletes virtually all the plot lines added to Macbeth by Heiner Müller, leaving his beautiful but demanding translation of the core scenes of Shakespeare’s play such as the witches’ prophesy, Duncan’s murder, the banquet scene etc. Additions can be found in details such as the presentation of cut-off, bloody genitals instead of the usual severed head, symbolising the death of its owner, or the marginal figure of a gentlewoman, who doubles as one of the witches, as do Lady Macbeth and Lady Macduff. Also, Lady Macbeth’s pregnancy near the end of this production is not something that can be found in Shakespeare’s lines but is indeed an idea that underlines the discussion of “How many children had Lady Macbeth?” by L. C. Knights. While this may sound silly enough, the idea of associating Macbeth’s “dagger” with his penis (well hidden in his underpants at this time) works astonishingly well with the words in this scene and underlines the sexual overtones of this production.
Michael J. Müller gives a well-nigh mesmerising performance as Macbeth, pressing every possible button when being buried under the soil by the witches or being filmed by his Lady and the picture projected live onto the black cube. All of the actors wear contemporary clothes, dresses and suits, with only Rosse standing out in his black leather clothes and motorcycle helmet. Get-togethers are celebrated by taking of socks and shoes and sitting down together in the dirt around the basin, and everybody commonly bathing their feet, which is to no avail as they step onto the dirty ground when they leave their seats. Virtually nobody remains pure and unstained in the course of the evening.
A truly entertaining, by no means ridiculous and very “essential” – Macbeth that boasts very good ideas and excellent acting. Or, as a member of the audience put it during the interval: “This is certainly not boring!”
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Sir John Gilbert, R.A.,
The Three Witches
Reviews
|  | Theater Konstanz
September 30, 2009 |  | Stratford Festival of Canada
June 1, 2009 |  | Centraltheater
March 19, 2009 |  | Royal Exchange Theatre
March 11, 2009 |  | La Saillie at Théâtre de la Croix-Rousse
February 6, 2009 |  | Chicago Shakespeare Theatre
January 9, 2009 |  | Chichester Festival Theatre
February 15, 2008 |  | The Gielgud Theatre
September 27, 2007 |  | Subterranean Shakespeare
April 28, 2007 |  | Stratford Festival of Canada
August 6, 2004 |  | Das Werk
2001 |  | Greasy Joan Company
2000 |  | Lyric Opera of Chicago
1999 |  | Roanoke College
1998 |  | Royal Shakespeare Company
1976 |
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