Post by Ravish Me Ripley on May 18, 2011 13:51:59 GMT
Macbeth – Liverpool Everyman Theatre – 17th May 2011
I’m going to break this *essay* into 3 parts – an honest review of the production, a comprehensive list of major fangirl moments and my meeting with the God like man afterwards.
Firstly, the play itself.
I was a tad sceptical that having seen John Simm perform Hamlet last year i had lucked out on epic Shakespearean performances and that this production of Macbeth would be pale by comparison. How very wrong i was. Though Hamlet and Macbeth are two very different plays, and indeed two very different characters, i couldn’t help comparing John and David. They are two of my favourite screen actors and to have had the mere opportunity to see them both perform inside of 18 months has been phenomenal. But to see two of the greatest dramatic stage performances of my life inside that time frame has been nothing short of a small miracle. David’s Macbeth was quite simply, amazing. He really gave his all to the character and made his greed and passion and self-loathing utterly believable. He also made the audience really grow to despise him, something which i thought would be impossible (how could i possibly hate David Morrissey?), and yet he made it look so easy.
I must, however, say that David’s wonderful performance was aided by the strength of the rest of the cast. Generally in productions there is always one weak performance where you can question their casting but there is not one weak link in this production. Particularly Julia Ford as Lady Macbeth, Matthew Flynn as Macduff, Ken Bradshaw as Banquo and Nathan McMullen as various characters, including Fleance and one of the witches. They were all fabulous and i would name check every member of the cast if i could recall them all.
The staging of the performance too was inspired. I spent some time studying stage design as part of my A Level in Theatre Studies and this was so unlike anything i have ever seen before. The stage was very industrial, steel and grey and cold with a tiled and dusty floor. There were then set into the floor two pools of water, out of which came steam and electrical sparks and running water from the roof. A table sat centre stage which elevated to become a ceiling and the table legs became bright halogen lights. The sound effects too were used to great use. Lots of thunder rolling and lightening cracking and, for me, the best part of the staging was without doubt the lights shorting and crackling, it made the whole atmosphere very eerie and yet gave the play a feel of modernity. Like something out of an episode of Cracker.
Back to David’s performance. I made notes. Not during the performance, but during the interval and afterwards i hastily scribbled down some of the bits that i really wanted to remember and write about. Firstly, one of the first scenes David appears in, when Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor and the premonitions of the three witches start to become true. As it is announced by the King’s men that the Thane of Cawdor is to be executed for treason and that Macbeth is to take his title, David stood with his back to the players, facing the audience and bit his lip. I’ll say that again because it makes me grin to think about it. He bit his lip all sultry and child like, excited that the three witches were right and considering the possibility that their next premonition may come true too and that he will become King. Like i say that was early on and if i had only seen that one little bit of the play i think that would have been enough for me!
The second momentous part of the play was when Macbeth is having second thoughts about killing Duncan and he breaks down in front of Lady Macbeth. I must confess i was watching Julia Ford during this bit because this is the point at which the audience first gets to see how calculating and manipulative Lady Macbeth really is. But as i was watching her there was a cry from David and as i turned to look at him, sat on the chair at the other side of the stage, his head in his hands, i couldn’t believe that he was actually crying. There was actual tears and snot. It was completely compelling to watch him break down so convincingly, and is a complete testament to what a wonderful actor he is. It was also absolutely heartbreaking and i must admit it did make me well up. He looked so defenceless. The softer side of Macbeth well and truly shown.
Another integral moment to the play was... Actually this wasn’t really integral at all but i’m going to write about it anyway. After Macbeth has killed Duncan his hands are covered in his blood (there was ALOT of fake blood throughout this production, it was really horrifyingly gory) and he bends down into one of the pools of water on stage and washes his hands. I was sat front row at the left hand side of the stage right by the pool and, well, there’s no real remark about his acting ability here, i just found it really quite sexy. All that blood and water and David about a foot away from me...*sigh*
Back to David’s acting, the point at which Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the dinner table was one of the scenes i had most anticipated. This is the point at which Macbeth goes mad, and if there’s one thing David can do well it’s madness. I did also think it would give me a chance to properly compare David and John’s performances, what with Hamlet being a tiny bit mad too. There was no comparison. It would be impossible to draw one. John’s Hamlet was mad and funny and charming and sweet. David’s Macbeth was mad and angry and scared and vulnerable and resolute and shouty. Very shouty. He was, however, fantastic. As with the crying scene earlier on, you could see the sweat on his brow and spittle forced out of his mouth as he gave his absolute all to the scene. It really was a sight to behold. And really quite frightening!
After the interval there was the single greatest bit of the play that i loved and wish i could take a snapshot of and keep it forever. As Macbeth goes back to see the three witches again, they perform the infamous “double, double, toil and trouble” speeches, which ends with the line “something wicked this way comes”. As they each said that line in unison, a huge steel door drew back to reveal David stood dishevelled and breathless, with the lights above flickering and cracking. It was like one of those moments in a film when you think “that looks amazing”. Well, this looked amazing.
And then as the play reached its conclusion there were lots of lovely sword fights and more fake blood with David having blood smeared down one side of his face (potentially very sexy though i was a little preoccupied with the sword fights, i do like a good sword fight). This is the point at which i think i like Macbeth best. This is when he has lost everything. His wife has killed herself, he has killed his gracious King, ordered the death of his best friend, and the people are rising against him. And yet he is still so full of confidence and arrogance because the witches have told him he cannot be killed by “any man of woman born”. He is completely unhinged by this point, and he laughs in the face of battle, and he utters the immortal line (think ‘i am Spartacus’) “I am Macbeth!”. Brilliant, just brilliant. Absolutely loved the final scenes of Macbeth’s life, the showdown between him and Macduff was brilliantly played. Quite a violent end for Macbeth. Lots more fake blood as Macbeth’s decapitated head is brought onto the stage by Macduff. The blood was dripping from it as Macduff walked down through the audience and landed on the stage which such a splatter. It was quite disgusting. And fabulous. Disgusting and fabulous.
Okay, now onto the fangirly bits. David started off in black jeans. Now David is a man who looks good in jeans, but really, he looked GOOD in these jeans. I only briefly looked at him in them, obviously i was far more concerned with his dramatic performance *ahem*. He then changed into a uniform for his audience with the King. *gah*. That is all i can say really. I’m not one for a man in uniform ordinarily but i’ll take David anyday. And after the slaying of Duncan David then changed into a white jacket (and crown). A white jacket. Can you see where i’m going here? It was like watching Ripley Holden with a crown on his head. I couldn’t help but smile when he first walked onto the stage in the white jacket. Talking of Ripley, he made an appearance several times actually. During Macbeth’s “dog speech” where he compares the different breeds of dogs to the different temperaments of man, he was completely Ripley. That speedy, bouncy, sarcastic tone of voice. Very Ripley. Also when the body of Duncan is found, David once again stood with his back to the players and faced the audience and did that scrunchy faced “oh shit” that Ripley does when he thinks he’s been found out. It was lovely to see that face. Although i realise i may need help for recognising a face as a character. That may be stalker material right there. And so finally to the really fangirly bits. Throughout the performance David had on a leather necklace with a piece of jade on it. It was very pretty. I do like a man who wears jewellery. And, even more fangirly, at one point Macbeth takes the guards daggers and hides them in his belt. And then he has to lift up his shirt to show Lady Macbeth that he has them on his person. Morrissey tummy! Such a treat to be able to indulge in such a pretty sight. But there was even better one still to come. After the interval when Macbeth is already pretty far over the edge his character stops wearing the crown and the white King jacket and instead just wears a dirty linen shirt...unbuttoned to near the naval. There was lots of chest hair on show. Lots of it. I wanted to ruffle it. That would probably have seen me thrown out. I didn’t want to risk it. There was also lots and lots and LOTS of man pain. Which, you know, at the end of the day, was all i really wanted from the performance. I love David for his angst and it was a pleasure to be able to see some of that live.
And now, finally, onto the meet. I met David in the bar after the performance and he came out wearing black jeans, a polo shirt and a leatherette jacket with a baseball cap. I turned towards him and he asked me if i was Jen. I look up into his gorgeous eyes and melted but retained enough composure to clairify that i was and he said it was lovely to meet me and i thanked him for indulging me and he flashed me the most amazing smile. I wish i’d had the camera in his face at that point! He then asked if i had enjoyed the play and we chatted for a while about that (I told him it was maybe a bit too gory for me!) . I then asked him if he could sign a few things and he said of course he would. So he signed my programme for me and then i produced my Blackpool DVD and he took it out of its sleeve and we had a joke about how professional he was at signing things. I said that i simply had to bring my Blackpool DVD because i thought Ripley was still the best character he’s ever played and he agreed with me and told me how much he loved Ripley. I then got the photo, during which he had a rucksack on his shoulder so i couldn’t get my arm round him so i had to gently place in on his bum. Yes i *had* to. I apologised for doing so and he said it was fine and had a bit of a chuckle. He asked to look at the photo so i showed him it and he said it was a good one. Then a couple of children (4 or 5 with a couple of parents) came into the bar and asked him for his autograph and he turned to me and looked rather embarrassed? uncomfortable? shy? but he gave them his attention and asked if he could borrow my pen to sign for them, to which i replied, “of course you can” (perhaps a little too excitedly) and he flashed me that smile again. After the children had gone David turned back to me and gave me my pen back – as he did i may have held onto his hand a little longer than i had anticipated but he didn’t say anything so it was all good. I then said there was one question that i simply couldn’t not ask him and that was would there be any more Thorne? To which he replied...*dun* *dun* *dun*...yes! hopefully towards the end of 2011! I told him i was reading the books at the moment and he very animatedly told me how much he loved the books and Mark Billingham and that i had alot more excitement still to come if i was only on book 5. We then had a natter about book 5 but he was worried he might give away some spoilers. Another cast member then came out and asked him if he was ready and he said his goodbyes to me and made to leave. As he did i realised there was no actual cuddle! So i turned back to him and said i didn’t want to take up anymore of his time but could i have a kiss? He grinned and said “of course you can” and he put his arm round my back and i my hand on his shoulder, leaned right into him, and we had a little kiss. Lovely beard! And i blushed and said thank you and told him, once again, that he was amazing. He said thank you and said goodbye. And i melted into a pool of swoon.
I’m going to break this *essay* into 3 parts – an honest review of the production, a comprehensive list of major fangirl moments and my meeting with the God like man afterwards.
Firstly, the play itself.
I was a tad sceptical that having seen John Simm perform Hamlet last year i had lucked out on epic Shakespearean performances and that this production of Macbeth would be pale by comparison. How very wrong i was. Though Hamlet and Macbeth are two very different plays, and indeed two very different characters, i couldn’t help comparing John and David. They are two of my favourite screen actors and to have had the mere opportunity to see them both perform inside of 18 months has been phenomenal. But to see two of the greatest dramatic stage performances of my life inside that time frame has been nothing short of a small miracle. David’s Macbeth was quite simply, amazing. He really gave his all to the character and made his greed and passion and self-loathing utterly believable. He also made the audience really grow to despise him, something which i thought would be impossible (how could i possibly hate David Morrissey?), and yet he made it look so easy.
I must, however, say that David’s wonderful performance was aided by the strength of the rest of the cast. Generally in productions there is always one weak performance where you can question their casting but there is not one weak link in this production. Particularly Julia Ford as Lady Macbeth, Matthew Flynn as Macduff, Ken Bradshaw as Banquo and Nathan McMullen as various characters, including Fleance and one of the witches. They were all fabulous and i would name check every member of the cast if i could recall them all.
The staging of the performance too was inspired. I spent some time studying stage design as part of my A Level in Theatre Studies and this was so unlike anything i have ever seen before. The stage was very industrial, steel and grey and cold with a tiled and dusty floor. There were then set into the floor two pools of water, out of which came steam and electrical sparks and running water from the roof. A table sat centre stage which elevated to become a ceiling and the table legs became bright halogen lights. The sound effects too were used to great use. Lots of thunder rolling and lightening cracking and, for me, the best part of the staging was without doubt the lights shorting and crackling, it made the whole atmosphere very eerie and yet gave the play a feel of modernity. Like something out of an episode of Cracker.
Back to David’s performance. I made notes. Not during the performance, but during the interval and afterwards i hastily scribbled down some of the bits that i really wanted to remember and write about. Firstly, one of the first scenes David appears in, when Macbeth is made Thane of Cawdor and the premonitions of the three witches start to become true. As it is announced by the King’s men that the Thane of Cawdor is to be executed for treason and that Macbeth is to take his title, David stood with his back to the players, facing the audience and bit his lip. I’ll say that again because it makes me grin to think about it. He bit his lip all sultry and child like, excited that the three witches were right and considering the possibility that their next premonition may come true too and that he will become King. Like i say that was early on and if i had only seen that one little bit of the play i think that would have been enough for me!
The second momentous part of the play was when Macbeth is having second thoughts about killing Duncan and he breaks down in front of Lady Macbeth. I must confess i was watching Julia Ford during this bit because this is the point at which the audience first gets to see how calculating and manipulative Lady Macbeth really is. But as i was watching her there was a cry from David and as i turned to look at him, sat on the chair at the other side of the stage, his head in his hands, i couldn’t believe that he was actually crying. There was actual tears and snot. It was completely compelling to watch him break down so convincingly, and is a complete testament to what a wonderful actor he is. It was also absolutely heartbreaking and i must admit it did make me well up. He looked so defenceless. The softer side of Macbeth well and truly shown.
Another integral moment to the play was... Actually this wasn’t really integral at all but i’m going to write about it anyway. After Macbeth has killed Duncan his hands are covered in his blood (there was ALOT of fake blood throughout this production, it was really horrifyingly gory) and he bends down into one of the pools of water on stage and washes his hands. I was sat front row at the left hand side of the stage right by the pool and, well, there’s no real remark about his acting ability here, i just found it really quite sexy. All that blood and water and David about a foot away from me...*sigh*
Back to David’s acting, the point at which Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost at the dinner table was one of the scenes i had most anticipated. This is the point at which Macbeth goes mad, and if there’s one thing David can do well it’s madness. I did also think it would give me a chance to properly compare David and John’s performances, what with Hamlet being a tiny bit mad too. There was no comparison. It would be impossible to draw one. John’s Hamlet was mad and funny and charming and sweet. David’s Macbeth was mad and angry and scared and vulnerable and resolute and shouty. Very shouty. He was, however, fantastic. As with the crying scene earlier on, you could see the sweat on his brow and spittle forced out of his mouth as he gave his absolute all to the scene. It really was a sight to behold. And really quite frightening!
After the interval there was the single greatest bit of the play that i loved and wish i could take a snapshot of and keep it forever. As Macbeth goes back to see the three witches again, they perform the infamous “double, double, toil and trouble” speeches, which ends with the line “something wicked this way comes”. As they each said that line in unison, a huge steel door drew back to reveal David stood dishevelled and breathless, with the lights above flickering and cracking. It was like one of those moments in a film when you think “that looks amazing”. Well, this looked amazing.
And then as the play reached its conclusion there were lots of lovely sword fights and more fake blood with David having blood smeared down one side of his face (potentially very sexy though i was a little preoccupied with the sword fights, i do like a good sword fight). This is the point at which i think i like Macbeth best. This is when he has lost everything. His wife has killed herself, he has killed his gracious King, ordered the death of his best friend, and the people are rising against him. And yet he is still so full of confidence and arrogance because the witches have told him he cannot be killed by “any man of woman born”. He is completely unhinged by this point, and he laughs in the face of battle, and he utters the immortal line (think ‘i am Spartacus’) “I am Macbeth!”. Brilliant, just brilliant. Absolutely loved the final scenes of Macbeth’s life, the showdown between him and Macduff was brilliantly played. Quite a violent end for Macbeth. Lots more fake blood as Macbeth’s decapitated head is brought onto the stage by Macduff. The blood was dripping from it as Macduff walked down through the audience and landed on the stage which such a splatter. It was quite disgusting. And fabulous. Disgusting and fabulous.
Okay, now onto the fangirly bits. David started off in black jeans. Now David is a man who looks good in jeans, but really, he looked GOOD in these jeans. I only briefly looked at him in them, obviously i was far more concerned with his dramatic performance *ahem*. He then changed into a uniform for his audience with the King. *gah*. That is all i can say really. I’m not one for a man in uniform ordinarily but i’ll take David anyday. And after the slaying of Duncan David then changed into a white jacket (and crown). A white jacket. Can you see where i’m going here? It was like watching Ripley Holden with a crown on his head. I couldn’t help but smile when he first walked onto the stage in the white jacket. Talking of Ripley, he made an appearance several times actually. During Macbeth’s “dog speech” where he compares the different breeds of dogs to the different temperaments of man, he was completely Ripley. That speedy, bouncy, sarcastic tone of voice. Very Ripley. Also when the body of Duncan is found, David once again stood with his back to the players and faced the audience and did that scrunchy faced “oh shit” that Ripley does when he thinks he’s been found out. It was lovely to see that face. Although i realise i may need help for recognising a face as a character. That may be stalker material right there. And so finally to the really fangirly bits. Throughout the performance David had on a leather necklace with a piece of jade on it. It was very pretty. I do like a man who wears jewellery. And, even more fangirly, at one point Macbeth takes the guards daggers and hides them in his belt. And then he has to lift up his shirt to show Lady Macbeth that he has them on his person. Morrissey tummy! Such a treat to be able to indulge in such a pretty sight. But there was even better one still to come. After the interval when Macbeth is already pretty far over the edge his character stops wearing the crown and the white King jacket and instead just wears a dirty linen shirt...unbuttoned to near the naval. There was lots of chest hair on show. Lots of it. I wanted to ruffle it. That would probably have seen me thrown out. I didn’t want to risk it. There was also lots and lots and LOTS of man pain. Which, you know, at the end of the day, was all i really wanted from the performance. I love David for his angst and it was a pleasure to be able to see some of that live.
And now, finally, onto the meet. I met David in the bar after the performance and he came out wearing black jeans, a polo shirt and a leatherette jacket with a baseball cap. I turned towards him and he asked me if i was Jen. I look up into his gorgeous eyes and melted but retained enough composure to clairify that i was and he said it was lovely to meet me and i thanked him for indulging me and he flashed me the most amazing smile. I wish i’d had the camera in his face at that point! He then asked if i had enjoyed the play and we chatted for a while about that (I told him it was maybe a bit too gory for me!) . I then asked him if he could sign a few things and he said of course he would. So he signed my programme for me and then i produced my Blackpool DVD and he took it out of its sleeve and we had a joke about how professional he was at signing things. I said that i simply had to bring my Blackpool DVD because i thought Ripley was still the best character he’s ever played and he agreed with me and told me how much he loved Ripley. I then got the photo, during which he had a rucksack on his shoulder so i couldn’t get my arm round him so i had to gently place in on his bum. Yes i *had* to. I apologised for doing so and he said it was fine and had a bit of a chuckle. He asked to look at the photo so i showed him it and he said it was a good one. Then a couple of children (4 or 5 with a couple of parents) came into the bar and asked him for his autograph and he turned to me and looked rather embarrassed? uncomfortable? shy? but he gave them his attention and asked if he could borrow my pen to sign for them, to which i replied, “of course you can” (perhaps a little too excitedly) and he flashed me that smile again. After the children had gone David turned back to me and gave me my pen back – as he did i may have held onto his hand a little longer than i had anticipated but he didn’t say anything so it was all good. I then said there was one question that i simply couldn’t not ask him and that was would there be any more Thorne? To which he replied...*dun* *dun* *dun*...yes! hopefully towards the end of 2011! I told him i was reading the books at the moment and he very animatedly told me how much he loved the books and Mark Billingham and that i had alot more excitement still to come if i was only on book 5. We then had a natter about book 5 but he was worried he might give away some spoilers. Another cast member then came out and asked him if he was ready and he said his goodbyes to me and made to leave. As he did i realised there was no actual cuddle! So i turned back to him and said i didn’t want to take up anymore of his time but could i have a kiss? He grinned and said “of course you can” and he put his arm round my back and i my hand on his shoulder, leaned right into him, and we had a little kiss. Lovely beard! And i blushed and said thank you and told him, once again, that he was amazing. He said thank you and said goodbye. And i melted into a pool of swoon.
That is so awesome! ;D ;D ;D
We were talking about more Thorne and i said something like "everyone wants there to be more Thorne" and he questioned, "everyone?" and so i said, "oh yes, all the girls on the DM messageboard". He laughed and had such a look of disbelief. I told him it was probably best not to Google us. Though if by some small chance he has and he's reading this...i told you not to! 
Oooooh jeez. I have no words... 
(I wonder if he actually would take a look at this place? He would have seen some of our names on Twitter as well 
)
Was it a full audience? Did the cast get a standing ovation? Is the season booked out?
I hope you will stay long.
?