Macbeth ★★★★ Donmar Theatre | Cinemas from February 5, 2025


If you missed the Donmar Warehouse's ground-breaking production of Macbeth with the incomparable David Tennant and a wonderful Cush Jumbo, it is now coming to the cinema screen. Tennant's Macbeth roars and rages, and Jumbo's Lady Macbeth is seductively sinister. Both actors put in compelling performances that are satisfyingly supported by Benny Young's sensitive Duncan, Cal MacAninch's steadfast Banquo and Noof Ousellam's steely Macduff. Part of the power of the original production was the use of binaural headphones to channel the sounds of the play and create an immersive involvement that, unfortunately, is largely lost in this cinematic version. Nevertheless, the performances shine, and we were captivated by Jumbo's purring persuasiveness and terrified by Tennant's ruthless ambition. The decision to project the voices of the witches as they echo in Macbeth's mind works exquisitely to heighten the eeriness of the situation, but the decision to rewrite the Porter's speech to break the fourth wall and bring in references to the theatre's re-seating policy and the price of tickets not only breaks the mood, it seems completely unnecessary. Jatinder Singh Randhawa's monologue is more like a standup act, and while it is often somewhat jarring to watch a piece of theatre which has been filmed, this incursion makes it doubly difficult to stay in the moment. Similarly, some of the camera shots seem as if they are done simply because they can be. The frequent view of the stage from above often seems gratuitous, adding nothing to the drama. If anything, it takes away from the tension that the director so consciously builds. However, despite the various difficulties of translating the immediacy and intimacy of the theatre to the screen, here's a Macbeth that needs to be seen. David Tennant and Cush Jumbo are simply unforgettable in this imaginative production of Shakespeare's Scottish play.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner

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