Co-directed by long time collaborators Sharmini Kumar (24 carrot productions) and DL Turnbull (Dad Jeans/Early Days), William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is reimagined as a tense, intimate two hander featuring western theatre’s most famous couple – The Macbeths.
An idea, says Kumar, that was all Turnbull’s. “I was honoured to be asked to have some input. I loved the idea of a more intimate Macbeth, and exploring specific ideas just with this central couple.”
For Turnbull, Macbeth is a text they keep coming back to – it was the first Shakespeare story (the actual text came later) they resonated with as a child, and to this day remains one of their favourites in the Shakespeare canon.
“I’ve had several ideas of how I’d do it over the years, one being a drag cabaret called The Divine Lady M! But I’ve kept returning to the idea of a two hander. Bringing Shar on board seemed obvious, we share very similar values as theatre practitioners. Her prolific body of work includes many deconstructions of classical texts through a feminist, post colonialist lens, some of which I’ve had the pleasure of being part of, one of my favourites being Shakespeare in Therapy! Right about the time I became a mental health worker.”
Even though Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest (and bloodiest) tragedy, there are so many deep and complex ideas in the work that the creative duo is still in the process of working out which ones they’re planning to emphasise.
” But within this (heterosexual) couple, it’s really interesting to look at how they each see gender and their gender roles,” says Kumar. ” I’m also loving digging into the issues around trauma and violence, and where that comes from in each of them.”
For Turnbull the themes of loneliness and isolation within a long-term relationship are the most relevant. “The Macbeths only really have each other and what happens in the play fundamentally changes how they relate to each other. I think the play has a lot to say about the fragility of conscience and how the boundaries of our morals keep shifting the more we violate them and what that does to ourselves, our relationships and our communities.”
The Macbeths, of course, is a smaller and deeper insight into the life of these two ambitious but ultimately flawed characters and, for Kumar, that is the attraction. ” I like that it’s intimate, that it’s a very focused look at a small part of the bigger play, and we get to take a microscope to it in this way, to look closely at two iconic characters in the theatre canon.”
Whilst Turnbull misses the other characters in the original, they like how this adaption redistributes the balances of power between the two leads.
“For example, in this version Lady Macbeth is our first point of contact and her presence is more prominent than in the full text. I also think Macbeth is an unexpectedly very funny play, in some moments it plays like the darkest of farces and the titular couple really are quite humorously relatable. Actors Cass Hart and Rob Lloyd both have a background in comedy so they’re both very quick and nimble with how they can switch between the ranges of emotion.”
Along with many other Shakespeare works, Macbeth is a play that has been analysed and dissected by VCE literature students for decades. As for audience discussion after viewing, Kumar would love for people to think about the supportive and toxic and co-dependent elements of relationships, the many, many layers of ourselves that impact on how our relationships (of all kinds) turn out.
Turnbull would like audiences to enter the troubled couple’s psyche on a more personal level. “I was saying in rehearsal the other day that I think Macbeth works best when each member of the audience allows themselves, even for a moment, to consider themselves committing murder. It’s what I love about theatre, it invites us to direct our empathy towards things we’d normally consider abhorrent and through doing so allows us to explore our values through a new lens. Also, I’d be very ok with people fan girlling over how awesome Rob and Cass are!”
An intimate cast of two has many directors singing the praises of possibility. Kumar acknowledges that there are some really lovely things about working with a small cast. “You can do some really specific and focused work that is much harder with a large cast,” she says. “It also becomes much more of a showcase for their actors, and we can work with them to bring out really complex and layered performances and character arcs for each of them in the time that we have.”
For Turnbull, this is the fourth two hander they have produced with Misfit Toys, previous personal works being Early Days and Dad Jeans and When you wore braces by Rachel Edmonds. “I love the intimacy of a small team and what emerges the more we learn about each other as creatives and people. Cassandra Hart and Robert Lloyd as our Macbeths also have a long term creative and personal partnership so they also bring a very specific energy to the project which should prove fascinating.”
As a director and creative, Kumar particularly like complex stories of people who are neither entirely villainous or entirely heroic – or perhaps, she amends, are both monstrous and sympathetic. “Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the epitome of those characters and I’m loving working on making this interpretation of them our own.”
Unsurprisingly, Turnbull is very interested in people’s identities being reformed in times of crisis. “I like exploring people who may have a very strong idea of what kind of people they are and having that image of themselves be fundamentally changed. So many things contribute to that; tragedy, romantic attraction, global and financial strife and Macbeth throws all of that at our central couple.”
Kumar and Turnbull have been working together for about 10 years. “I met them when I was directing a version of Twelfth Night, and they were playing Orsino,” explains Kumar. “I was impressed at the time with the depth of their thoughts about theatre in general and Shakespeare in particular. And since then, we’ve been friends and frequent collaborators.”
Turnbull says Kumar’s Twelfth Night had a fascinating concept; two main plotlines were played simultaneously and there’s nothing they respect more than a bold interpretation. “I find Shar’s work creatively and intellectually invigorating and it’s a testament to her skill and generosity that many of her creatives continue to work with her over multiple projects.”
Co-directing can be a hit or miss proposition, but for these two creatives, it is a journey of discovery and mutual respect.
Kumar acknowledges the Turnbull comes to the text with so many great ideas. “I’m riding on their coattails a little bit, but I see my role as to support their vision … We work together during rehearsals, and the actors are both very thoughtful and experienced, so they bring a lot of ideas to the table as well. I think my role is to give a lot of feedback and ask questions that might prompt a new line of thought. This is how I prefer to work when I am directing solo – I prefer to help people discover their own ideas and feelings about a text rather than be the person telling them what the interpretation should be.”
Turnbull says, “We’re all deep thinkers with a huge catalogue of literary and pop culture references between us so we all need to be very careful not to just get caught up in discussing the piece and getting it on the ground and seeing it in action. Finding a common language and shared vision for the production between all of us in our individual roles has been the focus of the early rehearsals. Rob Lloyd is actually a late addition to the team after another actor withdrew and we’re very lucky to have him on board. I may have very basic ideas about the structural matters of the production; it’s set at Christmas, lit my candlelight, 50’s melodrama influences but I see what emerges from the other creatives as the most substantial part of the production. I hope it’s a true collaborative experience.”
Set at Christmas, a woman anxiously waits for news of her husband fighting in a bloody civil war. When she receives news that he’s returning home a war hero and supernatural providence has declared he will be king a deadly plan is set in motion that will unite them and rip them apart.
Kumar says of The Macbeths, ” I think if you’ve ever known a dysfunctional couple you will recognise elements of this piece! Putting the issues of murder and kingship in the background means that we can focus on the things that make these characters truly relatable.”
Misfit Toys returns to the Bluestone Church Arts space for a bold candlelit presentation just in time for the holiday season.
Says Turnbull, “This is a Christmas show done by (LED) candlelight. It’s an opportunity to experience a very different kind of holiday entertainment! Catch up with family, friends, colleagues at a show and make a night of it. Footscray has an abundance of great places to eat, meet and live music. Also, unlike many Shakespearean tragedies, ours only goes for an hour!”
December 11 – 14
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1290434
The Macbeths image: Matto Lucas
