Lost in the fog: Mark Bruce Company in Macbeth

Wilton’s Music Hall, London
February 27, 2018

Charlotte Kasner

Macbeth is a great story, and Bruce’s is an exciting approach, at least on paper. But, like the blood-besmirched hilt of a murderous blade, it slid from the grasp.

Anyone who is not pretty familiar with the text are likely to be lost. Clarity and detail are lacking. Characters are mere emoting shades and women too often reduced to screaming like Dr Who girls of yore. Jonathan Goddard’s Macbeth had some lovely dance moments but the character lacks any sense of progression, never mind sense of vaulting ambition.

Eleanor Duval’s Lady Macbeth is similarly played on one note throughout. There’s lots of hand wringing with gory paws but no real sense of her sleepwalking, mesmerised by the bloody stains that will not wash out or of her gradually becoming conscience-stricken whilst Macbeth gains courage.

Little things irritated. There is much use of masks that are then flung offstage, breaking the fourth wall, and the concentration. The alignment of dancers sometimes makes some of the gestures invisible, especially if you find yourself at the side of the auditorium, the downstage dancer masking everything.

The music, mostly by Arvo Pärt, is haunting but repetitive. Much of the dance likewise. There are good touches such as the hints to Scottish character dancing in the ensembles but a lot is dull. Lots of significant looks are exchanged but relationships are superficial, Bruce rather concentrating on atmosphere, and Gothic gore and horror. At times, it almost looks like a misplaced country house mystery than a darkly political tale of intrigue and deception.

The depiction of Banquo’s ghost works well, especially when Macbeth hallucinates that he is his dancing partner, but it is over-egged.

Macbeth is admirably aided by Guy Hoare’s atmospheric lighting, although the constant use of smoke serves to add another layer of distance between audience and cast.

The true sense of horror that could have been engendered by deeper and clearer characterisation is just not there. While none of the individuals are exactly likeable, not caring about any of them makes it an uphill struggle I found it impossible to engage. Condensing a five act, wordy play into less than two hours of dance must entail sacrifices, but there are just too many.

Dorothée Brodrück’s costumes are unflattering for all and look half a size too small. Jackets become rucked and strained during the expansive ports de bras and the skimpy, tight dresses for the women combined with ankle socks make bare legs look chunky. Given the amount of abysmal weather in their part of the world, not the most suitable attire for a remote Scottish castle on a heath either. The men look more like fashionable East End gangsters than royalty.

Whatever elements contributed to the detailed and witty version of Bruce’s recent The Odyessy need injecting into a re-working of this version of the Scottish play which simply does not cut the mustard.

Sometimes dance can distil the essence of literature and present it in concentrated form. In this instance, all essence was boiled away into the wreaths of stage smoke.

Mark Bruce’s Dracula continues on tour. Visit www.markbrucecompany.com for details.
SeeingDance editor David Mead will be taking a second look at the production later in the season.