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Shakespeare: Macbeth
Joseph Millson (Macbeth); Samantha Spiro (Lady Macbeth); Stuart Bowman (Macduff); Billy Boyd (Banquo); Gawn Grainger (Duncan); Philip Cumbus (Malcolm); Finty Williams (Lady Macduff); Moyo Akandé (Witches); Jess Murphy (Witches); Cat Simmons (Witches); Geoff Aymer (Ross); Bette Bourne (Porter)
From its mesmerising first moments to the final fulfilment of the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most powerful tragedies – a gripping account of one man’s determination to secure his ambition and pronounced destiny, the crown of Scotland, by whatever means necessary. Filmed in High Definition and true surround sound, this production marked actor Eve Best’s sensational debut as a director and was described as ‘cracking – at times, terrifying’ (Daily Telegraph). Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro lead the cast, offering ‘superb fresh-minted performances’ as the power-obsessed Macbeth and his increasingly guilt-ridden wife.
DVD
Genre: Theatre
Release Date: 01/08/2014
Sound Formats: Dolby Digital 2.0 / 5.1 Dolby Digital
Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Subtitles: EN, DE, FR
Catalogue Number: OA1137D
Artist(s):
Joseph Millson; Samantha Spiro; Stuart Bowman; Billy Boyd; Gawn Grainger; Philip Cumbus; Finty Williams; Moyo Akandé; Jess Murphy; Cat Simmons; Geoff Aymer; Bette Bourne
Joseph Millson; Samantha Spiro; Stuart Bowman; Billy Boyd; Gawn Grainger; Philip Cumbus; Finty Williams; Moyo Akandé; Jess Murphy; Cat Simmons; Geoff Aymer; Bette Bourne
"Marvellous: Samantha Spiro and Joseph Millson." (The Observer)
"Joseph Millson plays the title role. He has a brooding, handsome physicality — the air of a man who could throttle an adversary (or his wife). He captures Macbeth’s psychological unravelling, and is at his strongest in his moments of quiet introspection rather than when prowling the stage wildly.
There are some piercing scenes between her [Samantha Spiro as Lady Macbeth] and Millson, especially after he’s been tormented by the ghost of his accomplice and victim Banquo. We see their marriage stutter, and we see it flourish.
The chief virtue of the production is its clarity. From its percussive opening — one of several times Olly Fox’s compositions play a crucial part — it moves briskly. Among the support, no one makes a keener impression than Philip Cumbus admirably lucid as the thoughtful statesman Malcolm." (Evening Standard)
"Eve Best's directorial debut is a cracking – at times, terrifying – production of Macbeth.
The chief reason for this was the superb fresh-minted performances of Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro as the Macbeths. Joseph Millson’s Thane is a big hunk of handsome beefcake, while his wife is short and plump and clearly has the upper hand in a relationship that is both loving and sexually fulfilled – at least at first.
Spiro is truly terrifying in the passage in which she conjures spirits to unsex her; even more so in the vile speech in which she screws her husband’s courage to the “sticking place” with the vile image of plucking a baby from her breast and dashing its brains out. In one of those moments that make the “liveness” of theatre so special, I could actually see a mother in the audience cradling a baby in her arms as Spiro spoke.
Both she and Millson are superb at catching the jumpy tension of the murder, and then showing how the balance of power shifts from Lady Macbeth (who cracks up under the strain) and Macbeth (who learns that the more you kill, the less you feel).
There’s an astonishing moment when he actually puts his hands round his wife’s neck and seems on the point of killing her, along with all his other victims. And he beautifully captures the poetry of the last act, in which he recognises he has rendered his own existence meaningless in some of the most desolate and beautiful language that even Shakespeare ever wrote." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Joseph Millson plays the title role. He has a brooding, handsome physicality — the air of a man who could throttle an adversary (or his wife). He captures Macbeth’s psychological unravelling, and is at his strongest in his moments of quiet introspection rather than when prowling the stage wildly.
There are some piercing scenes between her [Samantha Spiro as Lady Macbeth] and Millson, especially after he’s been tormented by the ghost of his accomplice and victim Banquo. We see their marriage stutter, and we see it flourish.
The chief virtue of the production is its clarity. From its percussive opening — one of several times Olly Fox’s compositions play a crucial part — it moves briskly. Among the support, no one makes a keener impression than Philip Cumbus admirably lucid as the thoughtful statesman Malcolm." (Evening Standard)
"Eve Best's directorial debut is a cracking – at times, terrifying – production of Macbeth.
The chief reason for this was the superb fresh-minted performances of Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro as the Macbeths. Joseph Millson’s Thane is a big hunk of handsome beefcake, while his wife is short and plump and clearly has the upper hand in a relationship that is both loving and sexually fulfilled – at least at first.
Spiro is truly terrifying in the passage in which she conjures spirits to unsex her; even more so in the vile speech in which she screws her husband’s courage to the “sticking place” with the vile image of plucking a baby from her breast and dashing its brains out. In one of those moments that make the “liveness” of theatre so special, I could actually see a mother in the audience cradling a baby in her arms as Spiro spoke.
Both she and Millson are superb at catching the jumpy tension of the murder, and then showing how the balance of power shifts from Lady Macbeth (who cracks up under the strain) and Macbeth (who learns that the more you kill, the less you feel).
There’s an astonishing moment when he actually puts his hands round his wife’s neck and seems on the point of killing her, along with all his other victims. And he beautifully captures the poetry of the last act, in which he recognises he has rendered his own existence meaningless in some of the most desolate and beautiful language that even Shakespeare ever wrote." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
Joseph Millson (Macbeth); Samantha Spiro (Lady Macbeth); Stuart Bowman (Macduff); Billy Boyd (Banquo); Gawn Grainger (Duncan); Philip Cumbus (Malcolm); Finty Williams (Lady Macduff); Moyo Akandé (Witches); Jess Murphy (Witches); Cat Simmons (Witches); Geoff Aymer (Ross); Bette Bourne (Porter)
From its mesmerising first moments to the final fulfilment of the witches’ prophecy, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s darkest and most powerful tragedies – a gripping account of one man’s determination to secure his ambition and pronounced destiny, the crown of Scotland, by whatever means necessary. Filmed in High Definition and true surround sound, this production marked actor Eve Best’s sensational debut as a director and was described as ‘cracking – at times, terrifying’ (Daily Telegraph). Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro lead the cast, offering ‘superb fresh-minted performances’ as the power-obsessed Macbeth and his increasingly guilt-ridden wife.
DVD
Genre: Theatre
Release Date: 01/08/2014
Sound Formats: Dolby Digital 2.0 / 5.1 Dolby Digital
Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic
Subtitles: EN, DE, FR
Catalogue Number: OA1137D
Artist(s):
Joseph Millson; Samantha Spiro; Stuart Bowman; Billy Boyd; Gawn Grainger; Philip Cumbus; Finty Williams; Moyo Akandé; Jess Murphy; Cat Simmons; Geoff Aymer; Bette Bourne
Joseph Millson; Samantha Spiro; Stuart Bowman; Billy Boyd; Gawn Grainger; Philip Cumbus; Finty Williams; Moyo Akandé; Jess Murphy; Cat Simmons; Geoff Aymer; Bette Bourne
"Marvellous: Samantha Spiro and Joseph Millson." (The Observer)
"Joseph Millson plays the title role. He has a brooding, handsome physicality — the air of a man who could throttle an adversary (or his wife). He captures Macbeth’s psychological unravelling, and is at his strongest in his moments of quiet introspection rather than when prowling the stage wildly.
There are some piercing scenes between her [Samantha Spiro as Lady Macbeth] and Millson, especially after he’s been tormented by the ghost of his accomplice and victim Banquo. We see their marriage stutter, and we see it flourish.
The chief virtue of the production is its clarity. From its percussive opening — one of several times Olly Fox’s compositions play a crucial part — it moves briskly. Among the support, no one makes a keener impression than Philip Cumbus admirably lucid as the thoughtful statesman Malcolm." (Evening Standard)
"Eve Best's directorial debut is a cracking – at times, terrifying – production of Macbeth.
The chief reason for this was the superb fresh-minted performances of Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro as the Macbeths. Joseph Millson’s Thane is a big hunk of handsome beefcake, while his wife is short and plump and clearly has the upper hand in a relationship that is both loving and sexually fulfilled – at least at first.
Spiro is truly terrifying in the passage in which she conjures spirits to unsex her; even more so in the vile speech in which she screws her husband’s courage to the “sticking place” with the vile image of plucking a baby from her breast and dashing its brains out. In one of those moments that make the “liveness” of theatre so special, I could actually see a mother in the audience cradling a baby in her arms as Spiro spoke.
Both she and Millson are superb at catching the jumpy tension of the murder, and then showing how the balance of power shifts from Lady Macbeth (who cracks up under the strain) and Macbeth (who learns that the more you kill, the less you feel).
There’s an astonishing moment when he actually puts his hands round his wife’s neck and seems on the point of killing her, along with all his other victims. And he beautifully captures the poetry of the last act, in which he recognises he has rendered his own existence meaningless in some of the most desolate and beautiful language that even Shakespeare ever wrote." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
"Joseph Millson plays the title role. He has a brooding, handsome physicality — the air of a man who could throttle an adversary (or his wife). He captures Macbeth’s psychological unravelling, and is at his strongest in his moments of quiet introspection rather than when prowling the stage wildly.
There are some piercing scenes between her [Samantha Spiro as Lady Macbeth] and Millson, especially after he’s been tormented by the ghost of his accomplice and victim Banquo. We see their marriage stutter, and we see it flourish.
The chief virtue of the production is its clarity. From its percussive opening — one of several times Olly Fox’s compositions play a crucial part — it moves briskly. Among the support, no one makes a keener impression than Philip Cumbus admirably lucid as the thoughtful statesman Malcolm." (Evening Standard)
"Eve Best's directorial debut is a cracking – at times, terrifying – production of Macbeth.
The chief reason for this was the superb fresh-minted performances of Joseph Millson and Samantha Spiro as the Macbeths. Joseph Millson’s Thane is a big hunk of handsome beefcake, while his wife is short and plump and clearly has the upper hand in a relationship that is both loving and sexually fulfilled – at least at first.
Spiro is truly terrifying in the passage in which she conjures spirits to unsex her; even more so in the vile speech in which she screws her husband’s courage to the “sticking place” with the vile image of plucking a baby from her breast and dashing its brains out. In one of those moments that make the “liveness” of theatre so special, I could actually see a mother in the audience cradling a baby in her arms as Spiro spoke.
Both she and Millson are superb at catching the jumpy tension of the murder, and then showing how the balance of power shifts from Lady Macbeth (who cracks up under the strain) and Macbeth (who learns that the more you kill, the less you feel).
There’s an astonishing moment when he actually puts his hands round his wife’s neck and seems on the point of killing her, along with all his other victims. And he beautifully captures the poetry of the last act, in which he recognises he has rendered his own existence meaningless in some of the most desolate and beautiful language that even Shakespeare ever wrote." (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)
