#Noof Ousellam

[sconesfortea]

Thrilled to have finally seen this production! So so good!

[denimbex1986]

'It’s always a great year for me when it’s announced that David Tennant is returning to the theatre and especially to Shakespeare and last night I was lucky enough to have a front row seat to the final preview of the new Donmar production of Macbeth.

In recent years, there’s been more of a tendency to find a new way to tell some of these age-old stories and Max Webster’s latest production of the Scottish play has chosen to incorporate a binaural stereo experience for its audience, through the use of headphones, to create a “3D soundscape”.

I admit, I was sceptical about this and not quite sure whether it would work...I was unsure whether it was something that would benefit a full company of actors in such a small space as the 250 seat Donmar. Yet, overall, I enjoyed the experience last night and the positives of the headphones do outweigh the negatives for me...

The mood of a production of Macbeth is key for me and I’ve had mixed experiences of it over the years, but what I loved about this one was the eeriness that is able to be created in that small theatre space and that is certainly aided by the headphones allowing the actors to truly whisper to one another...

...from my front row seat, the raised platform on the central stage meant you were looking up (although not uncomfortably so), which at times had me feeling like I was eavesdropping/lurking; present at moments I shouldn’t be.

Macbeth is a fairly short play and so I liked the choice not to have an interval and instead keep the pace moving...

The company of actors here is very good indeed. There’s a lovely relationship between Cal Macaninch’s Banquo and his son, Rona Morison’s Lady Macduff is compelling in her pivotal moments, Noof Ousellam’s Macduff comes in to his own as we reach the play’s conclusion and I really loved Ros Watt as Malcolm, bringing an empathy in scenes with characters in need of that, but also still projecting a strong leader, ready to take on Macbeth for the Scottish throne...

...Cush Jumbo is fantastic in this role. She gets the balance right between scheming power player and a woman also struggling with her own ghosts and loss and has a convincing connection with Tennant’s Macbeth, no doubt aided by them having worked with each other previously.

Of course, for any Lady Macbeth, there’s one scene the audience is waiting for and I really liked the approach to the “mad” scene in this production. I do still find the set-up of it, within the play itself, frustrating (and the 2021 Almeida production remains the only one that has provided much needed context for why she seems to go from cold and clinical to emotionally fractured so suddenly), but the performance from Cumbo was one of the best I’ve seen. It’s not over the top, there’s no dramatics. It’s a very understated depiction of someone who has become emotionally unmoored and seems lost in their own world of loss and guilt. I found her to be quite haunting.

And then of course, there is David Tennant. This is the 6th Shakespeare play I’ve seen him in and for me, there’s just no other actor like him when it comes to bringing these ancient texts to life for a contemporary audience. The language doesn’t change, but he has a way of embodying these roles and breathing life in to them, that you just get it. Even if you don’t understand every turn of phrase, you understand the person, their motivations and their turmoil. He brings Shakespeare to life in a simply magical way and this production is just another example of that.

Tennant’s Macbeth is so many things in a short space of time. He’s incredibly charismatic, charming, funny, vulnerable, ruthless, sexy (yes, I said it) and animalistic. It’s a real powerhouse of a performance and being so close to him in moments was a real thrill. Before Macbeth is crowned, he lies down, prostrate on the stage, head turned to the side and it meant he was staring straight at me, which was certainly intense! You can feel how at home he is on that stage and he commands every moment, from intense fights, to whispered monologues in moments of vulnerability. It’s thrilling to experience.

I’ve seen some Macbeths where it’s portrayed much more that the driving force behind their fiendish deeds is Lady Macbeth, with her husband almost caught up in it before he realises it, which I never really believe. Yet in Webster’s production, Tennant’s Macbeth is all-in almost immediately. You can see the thought of that level of power thrills him and when he sees Malcolm early on and voices (in whispered voice to us) about the need to step over him, it’s clear what he wants. The backing of his wife merely emboldens him and even when he says they should not proceed, I didn’t really believe he was serious, which isn’t always the case with this play.

As is the case with every Shakespeare play I’ve seen him in thus far, it’s often some of the subtle choices Tennant makes that I love. On the discovery of the slain King, as Jumbo’s Lady Macbeth collapses with emotion, Tennant’s Macbeth gave her such a subtle, but clear signal through the simple tilt of the head and a raised eyebrow, which seemed to say, reign it in a bit. I couldn’t see her face to gauge her response, but it was just one moment I really liked.

There’s also the choice he makes to take of the crown and drop it on the table next to him, before he starts arranging the murders of those he sees as a threat to him. I appreciated the sense that Macbeth was not King in that moment, but the soldier, planning battle tactics instead and perhaps a part of him didn’t want to be doing such things as King too.

Then there were two scenes that really wowed me. Macbeth’s monologue in Act 5 Scene 5 was breath-taking to watch. Alone, on the castle wall, looking out, in reflective mood and with the ability to not worry about needing to project his voice, we really hear Macbeth contemplating life and the emotional depth Tennant brought out of those words, some a mere breath of a whisper, was spellbinding – “Life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” Just a magical moment. It might have even brought a tear to my eye.

The other is the culmination of the play, as Macbeth begins his final battle, taking on other soldiers, some played by others in the ensemble, others we have to imagine, before coming face to face with Macduff. This is when Tennant really lets loose. He’s like a man possessed, as we see the violent ferociousness of Macbeth the soldier. The way he moved around the stage with such primal confidence was very exciting to witness, especially in such an intimate setting as the Donmar stage.

I also loved his choices in that final confrontation with Macduff; the way he taunts him, refusing to surrender and goading him and I could see this being a part of the production that might vary night to night, depending on Tennant’s mood, as it felt very instinctive, which again is part of the gift he has a stage actor. I admit, part of me was rooting for Macbeth! That’s a first!

So, overall, I was thoroughly captivated by this production, far more than I’ve experienced at some other stagings over the years. I appreciate the director and creative team wanting to stage something a bit different through the incorporation of the headphones and soundscape and in large part, it really worked for me.

... this is another superb theatre outing for David Tennant. Anyone who has seen him on stage knows how special an experience it is and this is no different. He’s truly one of the very best actors and when it comes to Shakespeare, there’s no one who does it better in my opinion. It’s truly where he belongs and I feel privileged every time I have the opportunity to see it.'

[oughttobeclowns]

Review: Baghdaddy, Royal Court

Review: Baghdaddy @royalcourt Even if it ends up a touch uneven, this is still thrillingly adventurous theatre

Even if Jasmine Naziha Jones’ Baghdaddy now playing at the Royal Court ends up a touch uneven, it is still thrillingly adventurous theatre “The number you have dialled has had the shit bombed out of it” You can see why some might consider a show like this challenging but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I was left respecting the hell out of first-time writer Jasmine Naziha…

[kiwiorcore]

tomii hi!! hope you're good and i just wanted to know what you thought about the whole hamilton to ferrari thing? i still don't know much about f1 but even i felt like this was really important 😭 and i love reading anything you say too lol so it's better from you than anyone else 🫶🏽🫶🏽 also unrelated but please talk about tennant's macbeth i'll send another ask if i have to, i'm so curious!! love you and i hope you're doing well!!

hii! sorry for the late response

honestly i don’t think the reality of lewis moving to ferrari has well and truly set in. it’s just a bit confusing for me why he’s doing it cause merc doesn’t stink that badly and ferrari isn’t that good either. i don’t have anything insightful to say it’s just kinda like ‘wait is this seriously happening?’

spoilers for david tennant’s macbeth under the cut i guess??? can you really spoil macbeth?

so my drama teacher chose this production for out live performance review and oh my god was it good. like where do i even start

the staging was so good i loved it so much. i liked the like glass enclosure they had behind the stage. it was such an interesting staging decision. the lighting as well was sooo good. it’s such a joy to analyse. the live music they had added so much to the production it would have not been the same without it

someday i wish to be like max webster because only he could’ve come up with the idea to use binaural sound for the whole production. the witches at the beginning??? i jumped i loved them so much

david tennant was so good for the role of macbeth. he’s got a very insane look about him and he plays macbeth really well

on the topic of macbeth, cush jumbo played lady macbeth so well. i loved lady macbeth in this actually. everything about her made her feel like and outsider from her northern accent when the others had scottish accents and the fact she was the only one wearing white. just ugh i love it

malcolm and macduff had bigger roles in this production than others. i wish ross did as well because i love moyo akande but oh well. the time she was on she was really good she’s literally my idol

the actors playing malcolm and macduff must have had bills due during the scene ross comes and tells macduff his wife and kids are dead because that was the make gut wrenching thing i’ve ever watched. noof ousellam (macduff) portrayed macduff’s emotions so well and ros watt (malcolm) really convincingly made himself seem as if he was on the brink of tears

speaking of ros watt, omg ros watt. i loved everything about him. his physicality during the 2nd prophecy, his pleading with macduff, god everything was perfect. ros watt was perfect to play malcolm especially considering he’s smaller than the rest of the cast. just delicious. he’s got those big sad eyes that i love

noof ousellam as well. big massive sad eyes like that’s baby girl (he’s over six feet tall). when he was all up in malcolm’s face shouting, dear god i loved it. my little pea brain starting whirring. something about their height difference does it for me.

this is getting long so let me finish quickly. lady macduff, her screams were fucking bone chilling. the porter was so funny. his actor does really well in comedies. banquo was so fit omg. the child actor they had playing like all the children (and he died so many times poor kid) was surprisingly good as well

i desperately want to write about this version of macbeth/the cast (the guy playing donalbain has a podcast called putting it together and his interviews with the other cast members are really good) but i fear no one actually gives a shit

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Rebus – BBC picks up new series

BY IAN MCARDELL FILED UNDER NEWS

Richard Rankin takes on the role of the famous Scottish detective

The BBC acquired the Scottish crime drama Rebus. Made by Eleventh Hour Films for Viaplay, and based on Ian Rankin’s novels, the series stars Richard Rankin (no relation) in the title role.

The detective has been previously played, as an Inspector, by both John Hannah and Ken Stott.

Rebus

The six-part series has been adapted for the screen by Gregory Burke who reimagines the character earlier in his career. Detective Sergeant John Rebus is drawn into a violent criminal conflict that turns personal when his brother Michael, a former soldier, crosses the line into criminality. Rebus finds himself torn between protecting his brother and enforcing the law to bring Michael to justice.

Gregory Burke To Adapt Ian Rankin’s Rebus Series as Eleventh Hour Drama Black Watch. Both adaptations, have Richard Rankin’s participation. Based on interviews with former soldiers, it tells the story of troops from the then Black Watch regiment serving in Iraq. The play toured around the world and went on to win four Olivier Awards.

Richard Rankin as John Rebus (Image: Mark Mainz/Eleventh Hour Films)

The series promises to explore family, morality and class in an emotionally charged story, set against the Scottish landmarks that Rankin’s readers know so well.

Joining Richard Rankin (Outlander), the series also stars Lucie Shorthouse (Bulletproof), Brian Ferguson (The Ipcress File) and Amy Manson (The Nevers). Plus, Neshla Caplan, Noof Ousellam, Stuart Bowman, Caroline Lee Johnson, Sean Buchanan, Thoren Ferguson and Michelle Duncan.

Filming took place in Glasgow and Edinburgh last year.

Author Ian Rankin says:

“I’m thrilled that Rebus is coming to the BBC. A great cast and a compelling story – I really can’t wait for viewers to see it.”

This is the first time the BBC has adapted Sir Ian Rankin's detective novels. 📸 Getty Images

Actor Richard Rankin adds:

“I am thrilled that Rebus will premiere on the BBC. It’s been an honour taking on the role of Ian Rankin’s renowned John Rebus. A character enjoyed by so many in such a fresh and original adaptation.”

The six-part series is directed by Niall MacCormick (Wallander) and Fiona Walton (Shetland) and is produced by Angela Murray. Paula Cuddy, Jill Green, Eve Gutierrez, Tomas Axelsson, Isabelle Hultén, Niall MacCormick, Gregory Burke and Ian Rankin are the Executive Producers.

Rebus will air on BBC Scotland, BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this spring.

I'm waiting and watching 🍿

#Rebus #BBCScotland #BBCOne # BBCiPlayer #JohnRebus #DetectiveSergeant #Ian Rankin #novel #RichardRankin #EleventhHourFilms #Viaplay

[thealogie]

since we're keeping track of this: tonight it was, as far as I could see, standing ovations all around, the cast came out for an encore as people continued standing and clapping, there were some genuine hooting and hollering, david was absolutely beaming. I myself was out of my seat the moment it went dark, it was a complete knee-jerk reaction, didn't even register that I was still wearing the headphones.

Deeply jealous of the front row seat peeps because I could only see everyone's profile and didn't even get mildly injured by a sword wielding David Tennant. But still can't complain because I got in, for free, against all odds.

I'm a changed woman. Genuinely. If I could've rebooked my plane I would've been in that queue bright and early tomorrow. I can't wait for the recorded version to come out. Also we spoke with Noof Ousellam (macduff) after the show and he goes "خوش‌آمدی!" and I experience a whole other level of jump scare.

End of report.

Scream?!!! I missed out on Farsi with Noof? I even said hi to him at that corporate event I snuck into and didn’t unlock this level. By the way, the only variation AT ALL in any performance that I saw during my three viewings was that in one of the nights Noof actually started crying during the scene where macduff learns of his family’s death (rather than just tearing up). One of many performances that deserves its own essay.

[lydiablackblade]

Such an amazing 3 days are behind me. I still can't believe it happened to me. Because I finally saw Macbeth at the Donmar not once but twice! Because I spotted David sneaking into the theater once. Because Cush Jumbo walked by 10 cm next to me. Because I took pictures with two members of the company. Because I got to know fantastic and kind people while queuing and hopefully got a friend in the end.

The play was such an intense experience, I am still shivering when I think of it. The intimacy, being so near to the stage, to really see every tiny expression on the actor' s face, the magical sound technique, the imaginary use of dark and light, the use of only the very few of colours, everything was black, white or grey, so when you saw the shiny, shimmering red of blood, BLOOD, blood was everywhere, on the hands, on the clothes, on the floor, it was so shocking, so intense, you couldn't get your eyes off of it, and the music, oh my good, the Music, I want that OST right now, and when Macbeth whispered into the ears of Lady Macbeth "Oh, full of scorpions is my mind" you really, you absolutely was able to look into that sick, cracked mind tortured by inner demons, David is really the man of delivering one-lines that makes you feel utterly devastated.

So I miraculously secured a ticket online for the Thursday matinee a week before. But because there's no flight back to home on Friday, I decided to extend until Sunday morning.

This is where I sat for the first time

I met a girl, who sat next to me, she was so excited and enthusiastic, after the play we chatted for a while about the play, David, Good Omens... Turned out we are in the same subred 😃 Actually it was a good thing I was already familiar with the play, because I could explain some things which she couldn't catch up with the plot, and as many of the actors played multiple roles, it was a bit confusing even for me.

On Friday I spent my time in museums and walks, and headed to Donmar to meet my new acquaintance in the queue before I was attending another play (Mirror with Jonny Lee Miller, very good!) because she really felt the vibe, and spent the day queuing, and while we were chatting we spotted David for 3 seconds before he entered the theater! We don't know how he manifested before the door, really. Magic. Also he wore a big coat, scarf, and baseball hat. We just had time to say "it's him" then he's gone. My acquaintance eventually got in for the second time because she managed to get a daily standing ticket - and still spent the day in queue. So crazy!

On Saturday morning I visited more filming locations then headed to Donmar. The queue was manageable, not too many people before me, and I had a really good gut feeling about it, so I stayed. When no one from the queue was let in to the last matinee, I was a bit worried, but actually I didn't have any other plans, so I stayed.

While we were waiting for the matinee, the actors started to arrive and I recognized two of them. So when they came out from the coffee I asked them if I could take pictures and they said yes! They seemed to be glad, actually.

Jatinder Singh Randhawa and Noof Ousellam

As the time of the last performance came closer and closer and they didn't let in people, I started to give up. After a while slowly they let in 3-4 people, but the time was about to come up. What gave us hope is that one of the staff members started to walk by the queue, counting and asking people if they are alone or with a group. And just before 5 minutes to the play, they let 8-10 people in! It was unbelievable, never ever happened before! It was about 15 people who finally got in from the queue! I witnessed it happen to 5 people before, and according to the queue rumor it was 7 at max earlier. Now 15! And I got a much better seat than on Thursday, I sat next to the passage, the company members were so close to me! Cush Jumbo was so close to me I felt her fragrance!

And the final curtain call was so exciting, the audience went wild, the cast members were so freed and glad!

With the guy who stood behind me in the queue and we were seated together, we found out we are both Good Omens fans, so we ended up in a restaurant in Chinatown shouting for 2 hours about Good Omens, theater, Shakespeare and books and still in touch 😁

I didn't take pictures during the curtain call, but:

This video was taken almost from where I sat.

This video was taken opposite to me, I am on the recording 😉 Thanks to @his-porous-membrane

[ier-6d]

Point of intersection found: This is a Degree 3.

Robin Atkins Downes voiced Cham Syndulla in Rebels and The Bad Batch and Rush Clovis/Elderly Muun/Aqualish Senator in the 2008 Clone Wars series; did additional voices for Rogue One, The Last Jedi, Solo, The Rise of Skywalker, The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Acolyte; and was an adr voice artist for Andor.

Julian Stone did additional voices for The Last Jedi, Solo, and The Rise of Skywalker; and was an adr voice artist for Andor.

Additional degrees found: Noof Ousellam played Corv in Andor. Oliver Walpole was an action prop buyer for The Mummy and played Seek in The Phantom Menace.

Erol Ismail played Ahmanet's Warrior in The Mummy and was a stunt performer for Solo. Sam Kalidi was an adr performer for The Mummy and was an adr voice for The Last Jedi.

Moira Quirk was an adr performer for The Mummy and an adr voice artist for Andor. Tom Bromhead was an adr performer for The Mummy and was an adr voice artist for Andor.

Peter Lavin was an adr performer for The Mummy and was an adr voice artist for Andor. Xander Mobus was an adr performer for this and voiced Foreman Droid in Young Jedi Adventures.

Uncredited amendment found: Christopher Scarabosio was re-recording mixer/sound designer/supervising sound editor for The Mummy and was the uncredited voice of Neumodian Senator in The Phantom Menace.

Tina Simmons played an uncredited Museum Guest in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Rebel Technician in Return of the Jedi. Paul Weston was a stunt performer for The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Vedain - Sand Skiff Pilot in Return of the Jedi and Feyn Vann - Engineer in Rogue One.

Nick Donald played an uncredited Construction Worker in The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Imperial Gunner in The Force Awakens, Rebel Marine in Rogue One, and Stormtrooper in The Last Jedi. Jorge Leon played an uncredited Technician in The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Rebel Alliance in The Force Awakens, X-Wing Pilot in Rogue One, and Mud Trooper in Solo.

Tom Rodgers was an uncredited stunt performer in The Mummy and played The Knight of Ren in The Rise of Skywalker. David R. Grant was a stunt performer for The Mummy and uncredited roles as Flametrooper/Guavian Death Gang Soldier/Resistance Fighter in The Force Awakens and Praetorian Guard in The Last Jedi.

Pablo Verdejo was a stunt performer for The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Rebel Soldier in The Force Awakens and Rebel Trooper in Rogue One. Rashid Shadat was an uncredited Guard in The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Villager in The Force Awakens, Rebel Marine in Rogue One, and Stormtrooper in Solo.

Tyrone Love played an uncredited Prodigium Agent in The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Rebel Marine Commander in Rogue One, Stormtrooper in The Last Jedi, Imperial Worker in Solo and The Rise of Skywalker, and Prisoner in Andor. C.J. Howells did uncredited utility stunts for The Mummy and had uncredited roles as Rebel Marine/Bounty Hunter in Rogue One and Sgt Derham Boyce in The Last Jedi.

Stuart Whelan played an uncredited Tourist in The Mummy and was a stand-in for The Rise of Skywalker. Obie Matthew played an uncredited Tunnel Agent in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Jedha Priest in Rogue One.

Shina Shihoko Nagai played an uncredited Museum Tourist in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Mother of a Lost Child in Rogue One. Danielle Kingston played an uncredited Soldier in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Corporal in Solo.

Jackson Kai played uncredited Mummy in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Elite Citizen in Solo. Marian Lorencik was an uncredited Russell Crowe double for The Mummy and played an uncredited Prisoner in Andor.

Asheq Akhtar played an uncredited Temple Priest in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Fellow Prisoner in Andor. Ross Carter played an uncredited Passerby in The Mummy and had an uncredited role as Master Jem-Sin in The Acolyte.

Welcome to Monster Month 2: The Dead are Rising, and a new world of gods and monsters! For our very first wish episode, as requested by Callie, we are beginning October with a discussion of the much reviled Tom Cruise vehicle disguised as what could've started the Dark Universe franchise, The Mummy (2017). Join Jas, Callie, and newcomer Sabrina as they discuss what went wrong, what's at least a lot of fun, and... to be honest, thirst over Sofia Boutella as Princess Ahmanet, the sexiest mummy alive. We're only a little sorry. This podcast contains swearing and discussions of colonialism, sexual activity, racism, sexism, Scientology, violence, and death.

[philosophenstreik]

leave to remain

großbritannien 2014

regie: bruce goodison

kamera: felix wiedemann

darsteller: noof ousellam, masieh zarrien, yasmin mwanza, toby jones, farshid rokey, melanie wilder

dauer: 89 minuten

(von tobias bruns)

was passiert, wenn ein asylsuchender im aufnahmeland auf einen anderen asylsuchenden trifft, der im herkunftsland der aggressor war, und seine geschichte, um asyl zu erhalten frei erfindet?

das ist eine der vielen fragen, die der film aufwirft, der zwar ein spielfilm ist, doch an sich als dokumentation angesehen werden kann.der irrsinn des staates, wem ayl gewährt und wer zurückgeschickt wird ist eine weitere. warum darf man den einen in den tod zurückschicken und der andere darf bleiben? eine gesetzgeberische absurdität - hervorragend dargestellt in diesem film, der hoffentlich seinen weg in deutsche kinos finden wird.

in diesem film passiert dieser zufall, dass schänder und geschändeter aufeinandertreffen, dieser film zeigt die kälte des gesetzes, das vorübergehende glück der schutzsuchenden, sich in sicherheit zu wiegen, er zeigt den obszönen zynismus der behörden. 

wäre bloß dieser film nicht die blanke realität - von schauspielern widergegeben - so wäre die welt um welten besser...

[denimbex1986]

'*****

This is the second starry adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play within the month, both boasting high concepts. Simon Godwin’s show premiered in a warehouse with Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma as the crown-usurping couple. This production is just as celebrity-driven, with David Tennant and Cush Jumbo as its leads. But where Godwin’s show flirted with immersive theatricality, half successfully, Max Webster’s concept combines immersion in sound with a fantastically creepy filmic expressionism.

We channel the sounds of the play through binaural headphones. The use of aural three-dimensionality here, designed by Gareth Fry, is incorporated with live folk music, which brings Celtic sounds while the action takes place on a central stage and glass box behind it.

As fanciful as that sounds, there is an intensely focused vision behind it. Superbly directed by Webster, it is full of wolfish imagination and alarming surprise. The action takes place at under two hours’ traffic yet it is not a classically fevered Macbeth but coolly creepy, and horrifying.

Sound, in Shakespeare’s text, has great disturbing significance. That is made manifest here. The 3D headphones magnify every creak and whimper. We hear the cold clink of metal as Lady Macbeth snatches the daggers with which Macbeth has killed Duncan (Benny Young) to return them to the crime scene.

The witches take the concept a step further and appear in sound rather than form. They are sinister in their absence, invisibly roaming in the vapour and smoke around the stage, present as a sibilant chorus of whispering voices played by the entire cast – an ingenious way to suggest that they represent the ever-present murderous voice in Macbeth’s head. They moan, giggle and flap crow-like in our ears, bringing an uncomfortable intimacy.

The headphones allow Tennant and Jumbo to talk in low conspiratorial tones. Tennant is a wiry, austere, self-righteous warrior who turns his intelligence into calculating outrage. He makes this Shakespearean role look effortless as he murmurs his soliloquies and we hang on his every word. There is steel and cunning to Jumbo’s Lady Macbeth, dressed in virginal white throughout, and a sense of purity remains around her despite her plotting.

Paradoxically, hearing the dialogue through headphones brings intimacy but one reminiscent of film with an augmented Dolby sound, as if these characters are not talking in real time...

The horror and tragedy hit all the marks too, from the killing of Lady Macduff (Rona Morison) and children, taking place in pitch darkness and capturing every sound of their last gasps, to Macduff’s (Noof Ousellam) disbelief at the news and the terrible sense of fate in the final fight scene.

The production is so focused, and so self-assured, that it seems to throw a bizarre meta-fictive curveball, straight after Duncan’s murder in which the Porter (Jatinder Singh Randhawa) breaks out in broad modern Glaswegian vernacular in what seems like his own standup routine. Yet the production has such command that it somehow pulls it off.

It’s a cool, cocky and utterly arresting production. Tennant’s Macbeth is vicious and yet he makes us feel his character’s tragedy acutely.'

[denimbex1986]

'...Aside from the star casting of Tennant and Cush Jumbo as Lady Macbeth, the big selling point of Max Webster's production is the use of binaural technology: The sound design that gives the audience, who wear headphones, a 3D audio experience. I've seen a couple of shows that have used it before, which is why I thought this story of witches and murders might be in for a particularly creepy take when you can potentially have spooky noises creep up on people in the seeming safety of their seats...

Generally Webster's production is stronger on brisk, confident storytelling than on creating a distinct identity for itself: The sound design is used to turn some of the more laborious exposition scenes into a mass of chatter where the salient points come through; scenes of post-battle celebration help establish the hierarchy and give us a glimpse of the Macduffs (Noof Ousellam and Rona Morison) together before the play suddenly asks us to care about them; there's good buildup to the final battle and it all adds to an evening that's short at two hours and still feels shorter.

The leads' characterisation is a game of two halves, with neither of them really making a stamp on their characters before the regicide. Jumbo being the only English actor in an otherwise Scottish cast is apparently a conscious decision, but I can't say there's any sense of Lady Macbeth being an outsider before she bceomes queen. I guess what we're getting is a couple with very little agency, who act impulsively because they think a supernatural message told them to, and then have to deal with the consequences once it's done. (Always worth noting that at the point when they decide to completely give up their lives to their prophecies, the Weirdward Sisters haven't made a single correct prediction of the future; the Thane of Cawdor news was announced in the previous scene, so arguably they've just heard some hot goss before Macbeth has.)

In the second half they settle more confidently into their roles, with both following their characters' descent into madness: For Jumbo this is turned in on herself, for Tennant it turns outward into more violence and villainy, with this Macbeth particularly keen on taking an active part in killing children (all played by Raffi Phillips, alternating with Casper Knopf.) It contributes to a stronger final hour in a production that ends up good-but-not-great, one where the focus is clearly heavily on the sound design, which ends up making a contribution but not necessarily wowing in the way that might be expected.'

[denimbex1986]

'There are elements within Macbeth that can feel rather hokey to contemporary audiences. From the three witches to Banquo’s ghost, what would have thrilled Elizabethan audiences can have the opposite effect today. The genius of director Max Webster‘s production at the Donmar Warehouse is to subvert the supernatural into the psychological, with visual representations dispensed with in favour of auditory equivalents.

The trigger point to Macbeth’s vaulting ambition, the “weird sisters” (stylised in the historically more misogynistic “wayward sisters”) are robbed of their corporeality. This formlessness allows their haunting prophecies to become more darkly persuasive. Here, the mere suggestion whispered into Macbeth’s ear (and indeed ours) takes root and compels his blood-soaked journey to become King hereafter. Never has a production made real so clearly that foul whisperings are abroad.

With audience members required to wear headphones throughout the performance, the production’s much-debated decision to use binaural sound gives laser focus the the inner workings and ever-darkening psyche of the titular character.

Gareth Fry‘s exceptional layered and dimensional soundscape offers a formidable intimacy that goes beyond the label of “immersive”. That the performers are afforded a full range of vocal expression, uncoupled from the need to project, gifts this take on Macbeth a rare closeness to the heart of the drama...

Given that David Tennant is known for his talent of bringing comedy to his roles (his first RSC role as Touchstone in As You Like It in 1996 was described as “unusually funny”), his Macbeth follows a very different path. Any humour is delivered with a mordent cynicism, any charm revealed to be a mask. From the moment he clocks the witches’ prophecy about Banquo and his heirs, his Macbeth is marked as much as a politician as he is a soldier. The predictions of elevation from Thanes of Glamis to Cawdor to King are received with a willingness that suggests the ambition was always there.

Tennant’s Macbeth has the steely ruthlessness of a modern politician with their eye on the prize. Webster’s production heavily hints that the Macbeths’ own lost child has left a void in which personal ambition has been allowed to grow. Their relationship, compared to the fecund joy of the Macduffs, feels transactional.

Tennant’s triumph in the role is to drain Macbeth of his humanity step by step until there is no point of return. He moves swiftly from temptation to slippery politicking to murder and onwards as he willingly strips any goodness away from the character. He is extraordinarily commanding in the role. Tennant understands the measure of the man and plunges in full tilt. This is a brave, memorable and genuinely chilling Macbeth from a very much loved actor.

While Tennant’s inspired and compelling performance dominates, the supporting cast buoy up his achievement. The Macduffs are exceptional. In contrast to the Macbeths’ fractured sense of family, their natural state is one of loving and contentment. It’s hard to remember a more affectionate portrait of mother and her “poor monkey” son than the one created by Rona Morison and Casper Knopf. It’s their easy warmth that gets extinguished so violently that fuels Noof Ousellam‘s nuanced, heart-ripping scene where Macduff learns his family have been murdered. It’s horribly dark...

Ultimately while David Tennant dominates proceedings, in this case, it’s not because he’s famed for high-profile TV and film roles. It’s because he offers an irresistible, uncompromising Macbeth. It’s nothing short of masterful how incrementally he becomes in blood / stepped in so far. It’s chillingly effective how the ambitions of his Macbeth hollow out what is left of any tenderness.

The bleakness and the yearning void placed at the heart of this production of Macbeth will linger in the minds of all who get to see it. It’s a fittingly thrilling end to the Donmar’s 30th-anniversary season.'

[denimbex1986]

'Max Webster’s superbly atmospheric production of Macbeth is ground-breaking in its use of binaural sound technology, but this is just one aspect of a gripping show that boasts stand-out performances from David Tennant and Cush Jumbo in the lead roles. This psychological drama is thrillingly brought to life with close attention to detail to reveal the Macbeths’ darkest, innermost thoughts and feelings, shedding fresh light on a familiar story of ambition, betrayal, mental breakdown, and civil strife.

Macbeth, with its multiple references to unearthly sounds, is particularly well suited to the creation of an immersive soundscape, which is what sound designer Gareth Fry does here (as he did with Complicité’s The Encounter in 2016). The audience wears light, comfortable headphones throughout in order to enter this world – it is possible to watch the show without headphones, though the actors speak more quietly than normal (especially in soliloquies and whispered conspiratorial exchanges) so it is difficult to hear all speech, while the rich background aural texture will be lost. This is no gimmick. We almost forget we are wearing headphones as we get caught up in the power of the haunting drama unfolding all around us...

Webster has made some judicious cuts in what is already one of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, so the straight-through running time of 100 minutes passes in breathless excitement...

Tennant makes a compelling Macbeth from start to finish, powerfully portraying him as the saviour of his country who believes he deserves to be the next king of Scotland. We first see him alone covered in blood washing himself as a victorious war hero – and we last see him lying in a spreading pool of blood as a tyrant slain by Macduff: a precipitous fall indeed. With a broodingly intense presence, Tennant suggests a battle-hardened soldier whose moral compass has gone haywire, so once he has taken the first calamitous step of murdering his king as guest in his own home, he is prepared to do anything to keep himself on the throne. Effortlessly delivering Shakespeare’s lines, Tennant vividly shows Macbeth destroying his own humanity as he dwindles from honour to nihilism.

He is well-matched by Jumbo as Lady Macbeth, who seems to have diverted her unresolved bereavement at losing a child into backing her husband’s aspirations to the hilt. An indissoluble couple who confide everything to each other at the start, they later fragment as Macbeth leaves her out of his plans – we see Jumbo’s Lady Macbeth realizing with panic at the disrupted coronation feast that she is losing him and that the killing has only just begun. Driven to distraction by grief and guilt, her sleepwalking scene is truly poignant as we see Jumbo taking her imaginary child by the hand before blowing out her candle and drifting into the darkness.

There are also strong supporting performances from Benny Young as a dignified but naïve Duncan, Cal MacAninch as a wary Banquo doting on his son Fleance, Noof Ousellam as Macduff who turns his intense pain at his family’s slaughter into implacable anger, while Rona Morison as Lady Macduff desperately defends her children. And Jatinder Singh Randhawa brilliantly provides ad-libbing comic relief as the Porter, asking us, “Did you really pay to watch a radio drama?” – well, no, we got so much more full-blooded drama than that.'

[denimbex1986]

'...I’ve seen plenty of A-list Macbeths over the years including Derek Jacobi, Roger Allam, Antony Sher and Jonathan Pryce along with dozens of less famous ones but David Tennant blew my socks off. He has an exceptional talent for making every word of Shakespeare’s text sound naturalistic and inclusively modern. I’ve noticed this before but never so much as in this startling, original production.

It will be remembered as “the one with the headphones”. Every seat has a pair with a clear channel to each ear and audience members are told that they won’t be able to hear the show without them. The effect is astonishing. The sound design (Gareth Fry) provides murmurs, cackles, and sinister breathing when the witches are about. There’s a raven which screeches from right to left so convincingly it’s hard not to duck. And it means that the cast doesn’t have to project vocally. You can have real whispers and muttering as well as soliloquies which really sound like thoughts. Tennant’s “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” was the most moving I’ve ever heard because it was conversational. And the sound effects at the murder of Lady Macduff are almost unbearable...

Cush Jumbo is both chilling and vulnerable as Lady Macbeth and the chemistry she and Tennant create together is wonderfully rich so the tragedy of that breaking down is desperately painful. Her sleepwalking presents a pitiful figure whose mind has completely blown and I liked the idea of substituting her for Ross before the Macduff murders to create a sense of female solidarity, helpless as it is.

There’s a strong performance from Noof Ousellam as Macduff. When he hears of the killings at Fife his reaction is electrifying although changing “dam” to hen” in “all my pretty chickens and their dam” sounds peculiar. And Casper Knopf did a fine job on press night (he alternates with Raffi Phillips) as Fleance, the McDuff boy and Young Siward. The whole audience winces when Tennant despatches him in the latter role...

This could be a “marmite” production. Some people probably won’t like certain aspects of it but it stands for me as one of the most powerful and interesting takes on the play I’ve ever seen...'

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

BBC Reveals Release Date And New Pictures For New Crime Drama Rebus

Rebus, a new crime series based on the best-selling Inspector Rebus novels by Ian Rankin, will launch on Friday 17 May, the BBC has announced. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer from 6am, with episode one airing on BBC Scotland on Friday 17 May and on BBC One on Saturday 18 May.

Written for the screen by Gregory Burke (’71, Six Four), Rebus reimagines the iconic character John Rebus as a younger Detective Sergeant, drawn into a violent criminal conflict that turns personal when his brother Michael, a former soldier, crosses the line.

New pictures released by the BBC show Richard Rankin (Outlander, The Replacement) in the titular role, Brian Ferguson (The Ipcress File, Spanish Princess) as John’s brother, Michael, and Lucie Shorthouse (Line of Duty, Ten Percent) as Rebus’s investigation partner, Detective Constable Siobhan Clarke.

Previously announced cast also include Amy Manson (The Nevers, The Diplomat), Neshla Caplan (The Rig, Scot Squad), Noof Ousellam (Vigil, Guilt), Stuart Bowman (The Serpent, Bodyguard), Caroline Lee Johnson (Trying, Ridley), Sean Buchanan (Censor, Mary Queen of Scots), Thoren Ferguson (The Midwich Cuckoos) and Michelle Duncan (Baptise, Elizabeth is Missing).

Shaken after a violent encounter with gangster Ger Cafferty, Edinburgh detective John Rebus finds himself at a psychological crossroads. At odds with a job increasingly driven by corporate technocrats, involved in a toxic affair he knows he needs to end, and all but supplanted in his daughter’s life by his ex-wife’s wealthy new husband, Rebus begins to wonder if he still has a role to play – either as a family man or a police officer.

In a time of divisive politics and national discord, Rebus’s ex-soldier brother Michael, who’s broke, desperately crosses the line in order to provide for his family, and Rebus starts to question if the law still has meaning, or if everyone is reverting to an older set of rules. And if so, why shouldn’t he do so too?

Rebus (6x45’) is written by Gregory Burke and is adapted from the best-selling novels by Ian Rankin. The six-part series is directed by Niall MacCormick (Complicit, The Victim, Wallander) and Fiona Walton (Shetland, Annika) and is produced by Angela Murray. Eleventh Hour Films’ Paula Cuddy, Jill Green and Eve Gutierrez are the Executive Producers of the series, alongside Tomas Axelsson and Isabelle Hultén for Viaplay, director Niall MacCormick, writer Gregory Burke and author Ian Rankin. Rebus is produced by Eleventh Hour Films and is distributed internationally by Viaplay Content Distribution. This production of Rebus was supported by Screen Scotland.

Image credits

Header image: Still from Rebus showing Richard Rankin as John Rebus, courtesy of the BBC.

Image 1: Rebus poster, courtesy of the BBC

Image 2: Still from Rebus showing Lucie Shorthouse and Richard Rankin as Siobhan Clarke and John Rebus, courtesy of the BBC

Image 3: Still from Rebus showing Brian Ferguson and Richard Rankin as Michael and John Rebus, courtesy of the BBC

SCREEN SCOTLAND SGRÌN ALBA

Posted 1st May 2024

[denimbex1986]

'Production images have been released for the Donmar Warehouse’s revival of Macbeth.

Leading the production are David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good) and Cush Jumbo (Julius Caesar, Hamlet), taking on roles of the regicidal Macbeths, alongside Moyo Akandé (as Ross), Annie Grace (as Musician and Gentlewoman), Brian James O’Sullivan (as Donalbain/Soldier/Murderer and Musician), Casper Knopf (as Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Cal MacAninch (as Banquo), Kathleen MacInnes (as The Singer and ensemble), Alasdair Macrae (as Musician and ensemble), Rona Morison (as Lady Macduff), Noof Ousellam (as Macduff), Raffi Phillips (as Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Jatinder Singh Randhawa (as The Porter/Seytan), Ros Watt (as Malcolm), and Benny Young (as Duncan/Doctor).

Director Max Webster’s production employs binaural technology to create an immersive 3D sound world, courtesy of sound designer Gareth Fry (The Encounter), which the audience experience through wearing headphones.

In addition, live music comes from an onstage Scottish folk band led by Macrae and featuring award-winning Gaelic singer MacInnes.

The creative team also includes Rosanna Vize (designer), Bruno Poet (lighting designer), Shelley Maxwell (movement director), Macrae (composer and musical director), Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of RC-Annie Ltd (fight directors), and Anna Cooper CDG (casting).

Macbeth officially opens tonight and runs until 10 February 2024.'