Temple Church, London – until 7 September 2019
Hidden amongst the houses behind Fleet Street, lies a secret venue. Built in 1185 AD, the Temple Church stands elegantly as one of London’s most picturesque and beautiful locations. As the lights go down in the home of the Knights Templar, this atmospheric and eerie church transports itself to Medieval Scotland.
Performed on a vast traverse stage running directly through the middle of the stunning church venue, Antic Disposition’s new production of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Macbeth transforms itself into a psychological thriller.
Harry Anton plays the titular role in this Scottish Play. One of Shakespeare’s most famous leads is a difficult one to portray. With a considerable character arc, Anton manages to perform both the stable side of Macbeth and gives the audience a masterclass in acting during his downfall into madness.
Playing Lady Macbeth, Helen Millar also shows strong characterisations. The character arc into her madness isn’t as visual, but the famous handwashing scene is performed so well, the believability of her madness is real.
The real highlight of the show comes in the way of the Weird Sisters. The three witches have unquestionably the most famous lines from the show, and their stage presence along with their ability to sneak around a very open venue and seemingly appear out of nowhere helps create an enormous eeriness to the production. Louise Templeton, Bryony Tebbutt and Robyn Holdaway are outstanding in these roles and it beomes impossible to keep your eyes away from them.
The only major issue with this production comes by way of the venue. While Temple Church works perfectly to add atmosphere to the play, the acoustics make sections of the performance inaudible. Pair this with seating on the church pews, and it could make for difficult viewing. However, do not let this put you off. The sheer quality of the performance outweighs the uncomfortable seating.
This production of Macbeth really is a great night out, and to view the stunning Temple Church at the same time makes it a show not to be missed.
It runs until 7 September
Review: Joshua Thompson Photo: Scott Rylander
