By Amra Kudic, 4HLKA
“Macbeth” is a play written by Shakespeare and tells the story of a Scottish general named Macbeth whose desire to become king led him to commit several murders and ultimately to his own downfall. Vienna’s English Theatre adapted and performed the play for students in Orpheum Graz.
The hall, being filled to the last seat, was all silent as the four actors came on stage, wearing hooded garments with their hoods up, and started to catch everyone’s attention by speaking to the audience. In the first few minutes the atmosphere was tense, but the actors did a good job finding the perfect balance between seriousness and humorous elements.
Each actor/actress played one or more characters, and no one was like the other, which is quite impressing considering only four actors were on stage. Especially Lady Macbeth was portrayed excellently in her greediness, desire for power and how she tried to manipulate Macbeth for her own well-being. Macbeth’s inner conflicts and doubts could also be felt quite intensely throughout the show.
Even though the props, set and costumes were kept rather simple, this didn’t take anything away from the play. The set consisted of three walls and three boxes, which were mainly black, but were splattered with blood. What stayed on the audience’s minds were the raven beaks of the “weird sisters”, because they’ve given them a mysterious touch. Alongside with the music and sound-effects which were on point and contributed to the dark atmosphere, the viewers experienced an enjoyable, yet concerning performance.
The goal of making the play suitable for students has been well implemented and it can absolutely be recommended to young people as well as adults.
