Greg Fleet and Roz Hammond tackle Shakespeare’s Macbeth in Signifying Nothing at The Blue Room Theatre. Photograph by Simon King.
Greg Fleet and Roz Hammond tackle Shakespeare and parochial political powerplays in this clever re-working of Macbeth, presented leading up to Western Australian State elections.
Opening in the media frenzy of an election campaign, Paul Macbeth celebrates his victory over Ian Cawdor for the seat of Cannington, on the phone to his mate Banquo to discuss the ‘weird voters’ Macbeth met at the ballot box. The group of witchy voters, ‘probably on meth’, reckoned that Macbeth was up for the seat of Claremont next, the Premier’s seat. Meanwhile, devoted wife Laney Macbeth is preparing for Premier Duncan to come and visit for a celebratory dinner, proceeding with catering plans and electronic images of a politically damaging dirty weekend away in Margaret River…
Greg Fleet as Paul Macbeth and Nicola Bartlett as Laney Macbeth commit to their dedicated performances as the ambitious, political power couple. Bartlett’s Mrs Macbeth is sexy, clever, determined and slightly unhinged from their son’s death ‘by domestic accident’ some years earlier, and takes the long Shakespearean passages of dialogue in stride. Fleet seems more comfortable with his character’s catchphrases ‘Fuck, I love you’, than with the denser lines of the Scottish play, but his performance captures the self-importance and dedication to expediency of the career politician.
Fleet’s script is a very clever interweaving of Shakespearean English and Australian vernacular, the longer elaborate passages taken from Shakespeare’s play and the counterpointing short punchy lines delivered in laconic contemporary fashion. The cleverness at times becomes self-conscious, as when Macbeth tries some fancy lines from Shakespeare: ‘Now is the winter of our discontent’, proving he is ready to move to a better-heeled electorate, and his wife mocks his pretentiousness. The script is faithful to the nuances of the original play, with characters shifting appropriately – Macduff becomes a Christian Conservative politician, ‘Over East’ is named as the external foe, Banquo and Fleance are mad Dockers fans and Laney Macbeth is a former hotshot barrister who has channelled her personal ambition into supporting her husband’s political career. Fleet is no fan of Cannington, and relishes the opportunity to sink his boot into the area and its lack of local amenities throughout the play.
Performances from Sarah McNeill, Russya Connor, Summer Wiliams, Kate Keady and Matt Penny as the ‘weird voters’/witches are well presented with clear video work. The ensemble work is tight, the diversity in vocal tones and distorted phrases well presented by the recording. Roz Hammond’s appearances as Karen Middleton interviewing Macbeth are cynical windows into the realm of political commentary. Luke Hewett facetimes his appearances, dead and alive as Macbeth’s mate ‘Banquas’, effectively making the most of his facial expressions.
Joe Leach’s camera work complements Joe Lui’s set design. The projected recordings allow for a large cast while keeping the intimate set clear for Hammond and Fleet’s interactions. Leach’s confident use of the camera addresses the conventions of the varied shots, from the facetime chats to formal media interview set to the chaotic craziness of the witches’ prophecies. Lui’s set focuses on the Macbeths’ marital bed, raised on a platform with a lectern to the side. A great set for an intimate domestic drama, the use of the hanging swathes of fabric with Leach’s recordings open up the scope of the production to address many more issues. Lui’s lighting design takes further advantage of the stage set up, dramatic and atmospheric colour cues using the hanging fabric as opportunities to highlight emotional impact as the play progresses.
The sound track features thoughtful selection of tunes to rock the action along, Fleet and Bartlett echoing the mood with their movements. Fleet pounds the lectern, glad-hands the front row and then grabs a photo-op to kiss a baby while lip synching to Hilltop Hoods’ Nosebleed Section in a rousing political speech, while Nick Cave’s People Ain’t No Good features at several morally dubious moments. Leach’s sound design develops with the increasing complexity of events, becoming overwhelming in a climactic finale as overlapping lines demonstrate the futility of Macbeth’s rage against the inevitable conclusion in a literal ‘tale of sound and fury… Signifying Nothing.’
Signifying Nothing is a clever work, entertaining on several levels but disorientating for those unfamiliar with the Scottish play or characteristics of AFL teams and certain areas of Perth. For the target audience, though, the ambitious mixture of local politics and classic script works well, and the dedicated performance of the players brings it to life.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Signifying Nothing
By Greg Fleet and William Shakespeare
Director: Greg Fleet
Producer: Roz Hammond and Kennah Parker
Executive Producer: Roz Hammond
Sound Designer and Camera Operator: Joe Leach
Original Music: Joe Leach and Mick Moriarty
Lighting and Set Designer: Joe Lui
Performed by Nicola Bartlett and Greg Fleet
Recorded performances by Luke Hewett, Roz Hammond, Matt Dyktynski, Sarah McNeill, Russya Connor, Summer Williams, Katie Keady and Magic Matt Penny
The Blue Room Theatre, Perth Cultural Centre
15 November – 3 December 2016
