Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's great tragedies that is consistently performed, with many different interpretations being produced over the years. The Faction's new production of Macbeth (Partners of Greatness) is one such interpretation that pulls Macbeth into the modern world and follows the infamous tale from the perspective of the Macbeths themselves.
Performed by a very strong cast of two, this adaptation has lots of ideas that give a new edginess to it. Sophie Spreadbury and Christopher York gave such brilliant performances that drew their audience into their world, and delivered the words of Shakespeare and giving them new meaning. The chemistry between the two helped to create a haunting performance with some nice twists brought through with this adaptation.
That being said, there are points where adaptations can be taken too far. When you have what is arguably one of Shakespeare's greatest and most famous tragedies, and the audience lose themselves in fits of laughter due to an artistic decision to the point that the actors can no longer be heard, that is when the choices have been taken way too far.
In a production with many strong elements, that could have made it truly outstanding, it is such a shame that a few artistic decisions have left a sour taste in the mouth and made one of the greats into something unintentionally laughable.
Review: Joshua Thompson