As always with Second Age productions, their new production of the Scottish play is exquisitely clearly enunciated and the meaning of every word, line and scene is like crystal. But Jim Culleton's production, while it held its largely school-going audience in rapt attention, somehow misses out on the magic and the menace of the play. So clearly is the meaning of the words transmitted that the business of murder and terror and mayhem becomes almost prosaic. Part of the problem in the production may lie with casting the witches as pre-teenagers carrying rag dolls: their enunciation is not as clear as that of the adult actors, but they carry no grave weight of either prophecy or enticement. Their antics are, well, just antics and there seems no reason why a grown man should pay them much heed. There is no sense here of Midwich cuckoos or children possessed. Thus David Herlihy's Macbeth seems to have little motive apart from a personal ambition fuelled by his business-like Lady Macbeth (Noelle Brown) to wreak bloody murder on all who stand between him and his becoming king.
Macbeth himself does not come across as someone with any kind of fire in his belly and Mr Herlihy's limited use of his vocal range makes him seem more introspective than violently extrovert. In fact almost the only character on stage that comes across as holding real internal emotion is Brian Doherty's Macduff. The rest act like cyphers in the action to move the plot along, although Mal Whyte provides a nicely judged comic cameo as the porter at the gate.
Until December 4th (booking 01-4544472) and then for a week at the Cork Opera House.