Now on stage in the Avon Theatre at the Stratford Festival unmtil November 22, 2025.
“While not a strong presentation of the Scottish play just yet, let’s give it time, okay?”
Director and Designer Robert Lepage’s cinematic visionary format for ‘Macbeth’ takes a few minutes to get used to it. Some technical issues need to be addressed first in this contemporary biker gang version. However, what an educational opportunity, especially for high school students and their teachers, to discuss these two artistic presentation formats.
If I were still teaching, I’d bring high school students to this ‘Macbeth.’ It will interest young people to attend the theatre. They will love the motorcycles, motorcycle mamas, and Ariana Sauvé’s deliciously seedy-looking motel and its dingy rooms (perfectly lit by Kimberly Purtell’s terrific lighting design once again).
The current Stratford production works. It still frighteningly reveals what power and ambition can do in the hands of the wrong people.
It needs more time to reach its height. That’s fine by me.
Theatre purists may not care for Lepage’s cinematic approach to telling the story. However, divorce yourself from the movie-like approach for just a moment. Even though rumours about the theatre’s demise continue to circulate, it returns. We may be puzzled by how it returns, but it does.
Thank goodness for people like Robert Lepage and his extraordinary vision with Ex Machina, which combines cinema and the theatrical experience. It’s daring, and the audience must buy into it. Yes, I found myself asking for the first ten minutes what I was watching. Eventually, I bought into it and just accepted the two artistic presentational formats gelling together. It’s a novel. It’s unique.
I thought the same thing with Kat Sandler’s novel adaptation of ‘Anne of Green Gables.’ Would this meshing of late-1800s Avonlea and 2025 work? It does.
Let’s give LePage and his creative team the benefit of the doubt and time. It is still early in the run to determine whether this cinematic/theatrical vision will eventually be accepted by theatregoers.
Shakespeare’s tragic plot involves three witches (Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn and Anthony Palermo) who speak of a true prophecy to ambitious warrior Macbeth (Tom McCamus), a loyal subject to his king, Duncan (David Collins). The witches predict Macbeth will become the Thane of Cawdor and then King.
Once he and his wife (a devilish Lucy Peacock) taste what power can accomplish, the horrifying realities of their awful deeds hauntingly return in confrontation. Friends Banquo (Graham Abbey), Macduff (Tom Rooney), and Ross (André Sills) begin to suspect that Macbeth is somehow involved in the king’s murder.
Shakespeare’s tragedy asks the proverbial question every high schooler knows (and has probably answered on an examination paper): who is to blame for this tragedy? Is it the prophecy of the witches, fate and the alignment of stars controlling the central character, or Macbeth’s desires?
Director and Designer Robert Lepage’s choice to stage the production in the world of motorcycle gangs is bold, brash and courageous. I like the fact Lepage takes a chance. Audiences are always looking for fresh interpretations of the classic Shakespearean plays.
Yet bold, brash and courageous chances are costly.
Michael Gianfrancesco’s biker leather costumes terrifically accentuate and dramatically highlight the various characters and their unique behaviours. Ariane Sauvé’s gargantuan-looking set design for the seedy motel’s front is impressive at first, as the stagehands silently move it onto the Avon stage. What takes me out of the moment is seeing the stagehands, their equipment, and headphones as they move the set into place. Granted, the set is large, and the collaborative effort to place the motel on its stage marks takes concentration. Yes, it is time-consuming and slows the plot’s pacing. Some of John Gzowski’s sound design remains solid for the most part. There was one moment at the top of the Second Act where the sound cues for the approaching motorcycles did not align when the bike appeared on stage.
Again, allow the team to continue running the show and become aware of the glaring technical issues.
This cast of stalwart, seasoned Canadian performers believably understands the intricacies of the world of biker gangs. These are not young, virile and nubile twenty-somethings from a Quentin Tarantino film.
In LePage’s vision, there’s a sense of rather harsh life lessons emanating from this cast, adding a touch of grit, grime, and the gruff. Lepage writes in his Programme Note that bikers seem to be ruled by the same medieval system of hierarchy and rank with codes of conduct and honour.
As Macbeth, Tom McCamus assuredly reveals this code of honour to which he clings when the audience first sees him. He is a loyal servant to Duncan, his King, and seeks advancement under Duncan’s leadership and mentorship.
Yet, as soon as the promise of the crown passes to Malcolm (Austin Eckert) upon Duncan’s death, Macduff’s Macbeth slowly begins his descent into madness and paranoia.
It’s mesmerizing to watch him.
The audience sees McCamus gradually transition from a proud, erect servant to a slightly hunched, conspiratorial assassin. Tom’s voice adopts a harsh, husky vocal tone as the descent spirals downward, culminating in a memorable ‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow’ soliloquy.
There’s a sense that life has done me wrong in Lucy Peacock’s Lady Macbeth. Peacock bears an uncanny physical resemblance to Katey Sagal’s performance in ‘Sons of Anarchy.’ Unlike Sagal on television, Peacock is right in front of us, mere feet away, showcasing her stage work with crafted precision. Her sleepwalking scene becomes interesting work to watch.
Supporting characters are also noteworthy.
Graham Abbey’s Banquo is a noble friend who rightly suspects all is not well with Macbeth after he visits with the witches. Abbey’s ghostlike appearance at the party and staring at the protagonist still gives the chills. David Collins’ Duncan is foolishly trustworthy and believably unaware of the consequences of his actions regarding Macbeth’s future behaviour. Tom Rooney’s Macduff remains steadfast, although I would have liked to see the scripted destruction of Macduff’s family and servants. The massacre would have heightened even further Rooney’s growing steadfastness to right the wrongs he has witnessed.)
Maria Vacratsis’ Porter provides some of the rare laughter there is in the play. Her physical stance as she walks from room to room is amusing. As the three witches, Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn and Anthony Palermo, pull out their best Spice Girls demeanour (I know I’m aging myself).
Lepage concludes his Director’s Note by saying he believes a tragedy about a powerful ruler with unchecked ambition is all too timely and definitely a ‘modern’ play.
Once again, let’s give it time to gel even more.
Why can’t I stop thinking Lepage is commenting directly on the events playing to the south of us?
Will it all come crashing down for the leader?
In ‘Macbeth,’ the order has been restored with the crowning of Malcolm.
Will the same occur down south?
Hmmmm….
Running time: approximately two hours and 45 minutes with one 20-minute interval/intermission.
‘Macbeth’ runs until November 22 at Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre. For tickets, stratfordfestival.ca or call 1-800-567-1600.
MACBETH by William Shakespeare
Created in collaboration with Ex Machina
Director and Designer: Robert Lepage
Set and Props Designer: Ariane Sauvé
Costume Designer: Michael Gianfrancesco
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Composer and Sound Designer: John Gzowski
Performers: Tom McCamus, Lucy Peacock, David Collins, Austin Eckert, Graham Abbey, Anthony Frescura-Denomme, Daxton Scurr, Tom Rooney, Aidan deSalaiz, Paul Dunn, Anthony Palermo, André Sills, Emilio Vieira, Maria Vacratsis, Matthew Kabwe.
