Theatre / Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, directed by Jordan Best. At The Q, Aunty Louise Brown Park, until February 16, then at a range of outdoor venues across Canberra until March 2. Reviewed by JOE
WOODWARD.

One might not consider Macbeth a fun play. It is regarded as one of Shakespeare’s darkest works. Yet the open-air performance presented by The Q and Lakespeare provided for a most enjoyable and even light-hearted afternoon and twilight presentation.

This was achieved by pacey performances that didn’t take it all too seriously. The audience was
taken into the scheme of the work at every turn.

Performed on the grass in front of a tent offering a back-stage area, the actors at once had to be larger than life and capable of using their physicality and very clear diction to advance the story.

There was even some tongue-in-cheek style audience participation that assisted in the creation of a
Shakespeare joke. One can almost envisage Shakespeare’s own production of the work where the
audience and actors shared moments in similar fashion.

This said, the cast provided moments of great power when necessary. Paul Sweeney’s Macduff
shared strong emotion with a powerful voice even as there were some issues with his microphone.

Jane Ahlquist’s multiple characters each inhabited unique gestures and vocal qualities that were a
feature of the production. Isaac Reilly maintained the driving rhythm so necessary to keep a sense of

Each of the central core acting group including Lainie Hart, Caitlin Baker, Paris Scharkie, Annabel Hansen, Lachlan Ruffy, Max Gambale, Sterling Notley and Kirana De Schutter worked as a well-connected ensemble to ensure a highly entertaining evening of theatre.

The deceptively simple presentation gave access to Shakespeare’s text for people who are familiar
with the work and for those who perhaps have never seen Shakespeare’s plays on stage. The Q and
Lakespeare must be congratulated for the initiative.

For people seeking a deeply psychological Macbeth, this is not the production! Nor is it the obvious
intent. Some speeches proved to be difficult within this style; most notably the “sound and fury”
monologue!

The broad-strokes within the acting meant some reactions to events were not fleshed out as they would be in an indoor setting. This is not necessarily a criticism as every venue will shape priorities for making contact with audiences. I suggest what is lost is more than compensated by the actor/audience connection enabled by the production in the open-air.

Audiences who are very familiar with Shakespeare’s text will find a very refreshing experience in this
Q and Lakespeare presentation. It demonstrates the huge potential to shape a performance of
Macbeth in ways that open it up for different perspectives. So check it out.