Macbeth is one of the more well-known Shakespeare tragedies. Like most Shakespeare plays, it is so dense and complicated that it is almost impossible to distill it into a few paragraphs.
Macbeth is a good and loyal soldier who is lured to the throne and eventually death by the prophecies of fortune tellers. Macbeth, now Thane of Glamis, is prophesied to become Thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland. But it will be Banquo’s son who will inherit the throne. On the battlefield, Macbeth unexpectedly receives the promotion to Thane of Cawdor. This is the first step to the throne that the witches predicted.
Macbeth and Lady Macbeth devise a plan to kill King Duncan. They soon realise that there are others who stand in the way of the throne and must be eliminated. Once Macbeth is on the path to the throne, he brings about the death of everyone in his path.
A second encounter with the witches has predicted his downfall. First will be when Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. Second, he can only be killed by “one not of woman born”. The invading army, carrying branches from Birnam Wood as camouflage, manages to reach the castle. Macbeth’s one last obstacle is the man "not of woman born" which turns out to be Macduff.
This in a nutshell is Macbeth.
Necessary Cat Limited is one of the current and local companies undertaking Macbeth. This company, not new to Shakespeare, seems to be a collection of actors with varying degrees of abilities and training. The novelty of this being a Scottish company should not be overlooked. It is Shakespeare to music.
A few of the actors seem to have tried to master the text, character and intent. There is potential. Some don’t seem to have the knack but soldier on. They work well together. It may be that the director did not have the time to do the character and theme work to make this cohesive, but the staging is fluid, utilitarian and keeps the pace moving.
The costumes are a collection of authentic clothing supplemented by cleverly devised costumes.