Macbeth
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
A massive wall of huge grey stones fills the back of the stage. A metal spiral staircase is joined to the wall by a gantry. There is nothing else. Macbeth's world (designed by Ruari Murchison) is a solid, cold place without comfort.
Macbeth (David Westhead) strides into the witches' den, every bit the bluff soldier. 'Speak, if you can,' he commands. From the moment he hears the witches' prophecy, Westhead's movements lose their military precision. Banquo's ghost at the feast makes him flail in a fit - his body is like a machine coming to pieces with the engine still running. In her flowing red dress, Lady Macbeth (Michelle Fairley) stands out vividly against the grey. But her guilt corrodes her. In the sleepwalking scene, she seems to melt into the spreading white pool of her night dress until there is nothing left but wild hair and huge eyes. She has become the ghost of herself. These strikingly physical performances command attention in Ian Brown's fast-moving, darkly atmospheric, gripping political thriller.
