Play: Macbeth

Ah now that's better - it's over a week since I was with (either/both of) the groups of the Man with the Hat! Missed 'em, you know?

So I was just thrilled to be back with them again this evening - and for the Globe, too! I love this venue.. fantastic atmosphere, fun productions, and a beautiful evening for it. I did have to go to Guildford, mind - so was very worried about getting back on time, after what happened yesterday. Mercifully, traffic was decent this evening - although I wasn't in time to take the bus as I normally do; well, I might've managed it, but it would've been tight. So, train it was.

Now, I'd heard on the radio that there'd been an accident that was affecting Southwest Trains. Well, when I showed up at Clapham Junction.. not a single information board was working. I've never seen the like - not even the platform departure boards showed anything. The pa just kept repeating that there were cancellations and delays - I suddenly started to worry that I wouldn't be able to get a train at all! Handy to know that the most frequent departures to Waterloo are from Platform 10.. so I headed that way, joined the hopeful crowd there, and within a minute or so, a train pulled in - destination Waterloo.

When I got to Waterloo - feeling damn lucky to get there, too - it was to scenes of chaos, Depending on how tight time was, I had two options from there - a 20-minute walk, or take the Tube one stop and walk for 15 minutes from Southwark Station. I printed out walking maps for both routes - but I really didn't think it worthwhile taking the Tube (and paying extra) for a saving of five minutes - so I walked straight from Waterloo.. and an easy walk it was. And a pleasant one, on a lovely, mild evening. Particularly when I turned down by the river.

As I neared the Globe, a couple of helicopters appeared overhead, appearing to hover over the Globe itself. I've experienced a good few shows there that have been drowned out by low-flying objects.. I hoped these wouldn't hang around for the start of tonight's show. Sure enough, I must have scared them off - just as I got there, they decided there was somewhere better to be, and flew away.

The Man had a different Hat tonight.. an FBI hat, wouldn't you know. Something of a departure from his standard black, this was a dark blue.. Well, I have heard rumours that different hats exist, and finally, here's the evidence! Careful now, pace those changes - we're easily shockable.  Anyhoo, got my ticket, made my way in. As usual, I was seated (with Let's Do London - for less!).. those with more stamina took their place standing (London for Less Than a Tenner). And as it happened, our seated section was quite underpopulated tonight, for whatever reason - perhaps the trains had something to do with it, which would be a shame.

Anyway. I read rather an unfavourable review of this in the last week or so.. but I do know better than to pay those much attention. This production of Macbeth - with Tara Fitzgerald in the role of Lady Macbeth - is stunning to watch. Heavy on celtic mysticism, a dramatic stage setting sees plenty of thick smoke, black cloth, black-veiled women (the witches). In fact, the opening scene is - for those like me, who are partial to such things - deliciously creepy: the women in black playing with various body parts, primarily hands and heads, as they make their prophecy..

And each time they do prophesy, it's through song - a striking touch. In fact, the score for this is incredible.. spine-tingling, it surfaces whenever the witches appear, but also when something is to be denoted, perhaps, as part of the curse on Macbeth and his wife for what they have done. Actually, I didn't recognise the name of the composer, Jocelyn Pook, but it turns out I have heard her work before - she also wrote the original music for Eyes Wide Shut. For this production, her composition has a Gaelic flavour - the word "Alba" (Gaelic for "Scotland") is repeated frequently, growled as a battle cry towards the end. "Alba go Brách" means "long live Scotland". And right at the end, they do sing a song in Gaelic - but my Scots Gaelic isn't up to it, I can just tell you that "saoirse" (which is repeated a few times - and pronounced seer-sha) means "freedom".

Utterly engrossing. And I did like how Lady Macbeth is a bit chipper.. I've seen far too many productions where she was as depressed as the play was depressing, and she just dragged the audience down even more. In this one - well, until things hit the proverbial, she's quite unrepentant, more of the "so what" than the sackcloth and ashes. Macduff, I found fantastic. Macbeth himself, not so much.. I didn't find his progression from loyal subject to murderer to repentant so believable. He improved in the second half, having gone mad.

The Globe will always throw in a bit of comedy, a bit of dance. Even in this dark production, it works well. This is a terrific show - runs until 1 October, booking advisable. (Oh, and I've booked with the Man with the Hat to see it again next month. Hey, it's worth it..) Afterwards, we repaired to the adjacent Swan, heading upstairs to the fairly empty pub, where we snagged a long table to ourselves, complete with little wooden stools that people compared to toadstools.. the windows were open on this balmy night, and if you were seated in just the right place, you could have a lovely view of St. Paul's. Only quibble - wine is served in just three quantities: 187ml glass, 50cl carafe, or bottle. Awkward.. but the chenin blanc is nice.

Tomorrow, the Man is taking us back to the Royal Opera House, for Il Trovatore. And as is his wont, he's got a photos up, again, of where he'll be standing, so we can find him. On Saturday, the plan is to meet Helen, and we've finally decided on "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". Which we got a couple of cheap tickets for..