Evan Buliung delivers a thrilling and intoxicating performance that is disarmingly gentle one minute and genuinely terrifying the next.
One of Shakespeare’s shortest and bloodiest tragedies, this Macbeth works because it sets the story against the ominous, beguiling forces of modern technology and unchecked ambition, according to the press release.
It’s worth a trip to see this Macbeth during the show’s run. It is both a good night at the theatre and a prime opportunity for schools to see a play that speaks to young people. The play’s prophecy element delivered by the three witches has been cleverly contemporized into the trap of seductive modern technology. The voices of the three witches have now become artificial intelligence. It has become a modern equivalent of supernatural temptation, and that choice works very well. The lingering, reverberating sounds of the AI still remain in my head a few days later.
Under Christopher Manousos’s assured and insightful direction, Buliung inhabits a world in which technology becomes an increasingly seductive and unsettling presence. Scott Penner’s alley staging (where the audience sits facing each other) allows for optimal sightlines and lets Buliung manoeuvre around the space with focus and intent. Speakers positioned along both sides of the performance space reinforce the production’s immersive soundscape. Chris Malkowski’s lighting remains hypnotic – the spotlit moment where Buliung’s Macbeth believes he sees a dagger floating before him is mesmerizing to watch.
Special recognition belongs to sound designer Thomas Ryder Payne, whose eerie treatment of the witches’ prophecies reverberates throughout the intimate Studio Theatre.
The main reason to see the production is Evan Buliung’s thrilling, engrossing performance. Dressed in fashionable black attire by Andrew Broderick, Buliung transitions between roles with such fluid dexterity that it is clear who the character is in the moment. The Banquet scene in Act 2, where Macbeth believes he sees the murdered Banquo’s ghost, remains hauntingly eerie as Buliung’s Macbeth circles around the stage, unable to sit still. The Porter scene is hilariously delivered, with Evan playing the moment with comic timing and nimble wordplay. Buliung never resorts to over-the-top theatrics in his performance of a genuinely tortured soul by the end of the play as Birnam Wood makes its way toward Dunsinane. He remains planted and grounded, never allowing his emotions to get the better of him.
Final Thoughts: Crow’s production of Macbeth may not appeal to Shakespearean purists who prefer traditional costumes, minimal staging and fewer contemporary sound effects. Some audiences may prefer the performers to deliver Shakespeare’s words with little theatrical intervention, allowing the language to speak for itself.
However, imaginative reinterpretations can offer audiences new ways of understanding familiar works.
As a retired Ontario Catholic teacher, Shakespeare’s plays should be continually re-examined and presented in ways that engage contemporary audiences, particularly young people.
Crow’s production offers an excellent opportunity for students to explore how theatrical adaptations communicate meaning. Its use of artificial intelligence, sound, lighting and staging encourages critical examination of how a familiar literary work can be reinterpreted through contemporary media and technology.
Shakespeare’s continued presence in education should never be taken for granted. Productions like this show why his work deserves to remain part of the theatrical conversation.
Running time: approximately 85 minutes with no interval/intermission.
The production runs to December 6 at the Studio Theatre at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. For tickets, visit: crowstheatre.com, call (647) 341-7390, or email boxoffice@crowstheatre.com.
CROWS THEATRE presents
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Co-created by Christopher Manousos and Evan Buliung
Performed by Evan Buliung. Directed by Christopher Manousos
Set Designer: Scott Penner
Sound Designer: Thomas Ryder Payne
Costume Designer: Andrew Broderick
Lighting Designer: Chris Malkowski
Stage Manager: Scarlett Larry
