Theater review: Great Scots: Close encounters with Macbeth

The official poster. British Embassy in Manila

The prophetic wails of the Weird Sisters preface a battle not often seen onstage: Macbeth's valiant defeat of the rebel Thane Macdonwald's forces, the very act which earns him his kinsman King Duncan's gratitude. The atmosphere is very elemental and dynamic, but confined in what seems to be a stately, even sacred space. Program notes identify this as St. Peter's Ancoats in Manchester.
 

But this is Manila, and the deconsecrated place of worship superseded by a temple of consumerism. We are in SM Aura, for a one-night screening of National Theater Live!'s Macbeth featuring Sir Kenneth Branagh in his first Shakespearean role in a decade.
 

Branagh's reputation as one of the world's premiere Shakespearean actors is well-deserved, the language rolling off his tongue as if he thought those very words himself. His Macbeth is more martial than Machiavellian: a battle-hardened general used to making snap decisions and taking opportunities as they arise. Lady Macbeth is played by Alex Kingston—best known as River Song on Doctor Who--and she is evidently enjoying her turn playing one of Shakespeare's most infamous heroines. Lady Macbeth is ambitious, yes, but a true helpmeet and life partner to her husband. As played by these two veterans, the Macbeths come across as a couple who has weathered life's challenges together, still amorous and attentive; attracted to power and the possibilities it presents, but ultimately consumed by the web of deceit that they have spun.
 

The supporting cast and company more than hold their own. The Weird Sisters are earthy yet unworldly, their supernatural nature played up by the light and sound elements. Duncan's shock at Macbeth's betrayal is palpable (yet another scene that is usually kept offstage), and the porter elicits the requisite laughs. MacDuff's grief is moving, Malcolm less so—his youthful demeanor highlighting his inutile presence as figurehead of the forces against Macbeth.
 

Filming a stage production preserves the integrity of the theater-going experience. The play is captured as it is performed, mistakes and all; the one-day screening schedule allows it to remain a limited engagement. Multiple camera angles highlight certain aspects of the performance, which cannot be captured by even the best of house seats. The beautifully choreographed battle sequences are viewed from an aerial perspective, and the soliloquys given due gravitas by the close ups. Sometimes the extreme focus can be a bit jarring—little details like actors breathing from the diaphragm, and Branagh's ugly cry face, which regular audiences wouldn't notice from their vantage point. Ultimately, the positives outweigh the negatives, and anybody who enjoys theater will find this a pleasurable experience, not least because its P400 per person price, is very affordable compared to front row seats for headliner shows.
 

The Macbeth screening is one of many cultural performances organized by the British Embassy for a five-month long festival of British commerce and culture, “This is Great Britain.”
 

With the audience area packed to the rafters, it is evident that there is a market for such films, and the embassy may do well to look at the possibility of presenting National Theater Live!'s entire season, which currently includes plays top-billed by the new wave of popular British actors. There's an encore screening of Frankenstein, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller—two Sherlocks alternating the roles of Victor Frankenstein and his monster; and the world premiere of Coriolanus, starring Tom Hiddleston—most recently Hal/Henry V of The Hollow Crown, but most famous as Loki in the Branagh-directed Thor.

The world is their stage, indeed. — VC, GMA News