That cursed play... Macbeth

MACBETH

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THE CURSE OF MACBETH

How can a play be cursed??? That's the question we asked ourselves and couldn't quite fathom out when we started researching and putting this devised updated version of Macbeth together. Well believe me, this play (in my opinion) is definitely cursed! Here is a brief list of just a few of the things that happened to members of our group during the weeks and days leading up to the performance and on the performance day itself...

There were two different productions of Macbeth being performed by the same class for a tour around schools. (Two groups of eight people.) Group.1 rarely had a full cast. Many of us experienced rips on our costumes, people got roughed up by props during rehearsals, (not through people misusing them), vehicles broke down (see below), keys got lost, people got locked out of their house, - all prior to performance!!!

My own experience involved (on the night before the rehearsal), my shoelaces snapping, my shirt ripping at the collar, the spookiest - lights on the train going out after talking about the show (on the day of the rehearsal), the scariest - Margaret our lecturer arrives early and asks if anyone would like to make an early start and go with her in her car to the venue, eager to get going, a few of us willingly accept. The rest of the class will make their way there in the van. On the journey, without thinking I say 'Wouldn't it be just our luck that the van which the rest of them are travelling in breaks down before it gets to the school.' Lo and behold, it's not the van that breaks down but the car that we are travelling in - thankfully it was walking distance from the school!

Macbeth was one of our first main productions for our theatre course and was used to evaluate our production skills and the ability to work as a team. There were eight production team members (six of whom also acted) and we coped very well together with everyone pulling their weight as and when necessary, this despite the fact that illness and all manner of other things attempted to hinder our progress towards a successful production. This was an improvised version of Macbeth (for tour around schools) for which we devised our own script. As well as being the set designer I also played Macbeth. Narration was used to good effect to help bridge scenes together and keep the play rolling along.
But did I enjoy it? - Yes I did, it was a very interesting experience but certainly not one I'd like to repeat anytime soon!

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