In pairs we performed our own versions of ‘the persuasion scene’, with one playing Macbeth and one playing Lady Macbeth. Through manipulation, Lady Macbeth always beats Macbeth one way or another, and we learned to create the right mood on stage, this improvisational work helped develop characterisation.
After discussing the scene we were to study (the ‘banquet scene’ [Act Three, Scene Four]) and read through the original script, we began improvisation of a modern-day remake of the scene. Our class decided to work in just one group and we were sure we wanted to bring the scene to a modern-day setting so we could come up with our own interpretation. As a group we had to decide on who the Macbeth of the 21st century would be, and came up with plenty of suggestions. The one we finally decided on was a night-club owner, the night-club representing his castle and the bar being the banquet table. This worked well because it was a way in which all of Macbeth’s friends and associates could come together and celebrate the opening of his new night-club.
One thing that we found difficult was finding a part for everyone to play and not make it look as if we had packed everyone on stage just so that we could all be in it. Eventually, we sorted the problem out with some people working at the club, some there for the free drink, some people family of the Macbeths, and some people playing friends or colleagues of Macbeth.
I played a character that wasn’t in Shakespeare’s play, Lady Macbeth’s father. My motive for being there was to protect my daughter and make sure Macbeth was treating her well. All of the characters had to come up with a motive, or reason, for being on stage. Each person kept this in mind for our final performance and it helped us to stay in character throughout the piece and to create characters in the first instance. The motive for my character was-“I want to make sure Macbeth is looking after my daughter”. This helped me realise that as my character I would want to be near Lady Macbeth at the party. One of the ways I showed this was by my first entrance. As I arrived I made my way to the bar and forced her to rest while I took over the bar, this revealed my fatherly instincts.
Our final performance went well. Every element of the piece ran smoothly and to plan. We managed to create the required atmosphere on stage by using eerie lighting and applying characteristics. We decided to interpret the banquet scene in our own way which involved adding extra characters. For example the business partner, we wanted to add a character which would display Macbeth’s power and control over others. My character, Lady Macbeth’s father, made the audience feel sorry for Lady Macbeth because he made her look like a ‘daddy’s girl’, although Macbeth was being almost dominated by her. At the bar, we inserted a drunken person who was the focus of most of the comical points. This role balanced out Macbeth’s serious and almost psychotic behaviour, providing a good contrast. Macbeth’s sudden ‘bursts’ of strange behaviour made the audience feel uneasy-this was a way in which we involved the audience in the play, because they were feeling the same way that the other characters were feeling- they were unsure how to react.
Certain moments in the play, for example Macbeth throwing the gambling table across the room, regardless of who was in the way, really got across just how possessed and obsessed the character was with the murders. He was obviously unable to deal with them but the way in which his wife calmed him down, got him a drink and ordered that the party carried on showed how strong her character was. Our group took the decision not to actually have a person playing the role of Banquo’s ghost, the whole idea of the ghost was completely in Macbeth’s head, which highlighted his mental decline.
Our use of lighting in the performance was thought out carefully, even before our characterisation was under way. For the bulk of the party, there was a general spread of light over the whole stage area. Whenever Macbeth saw the ghost and had a fit, there was a sudden change of lighting to a strong red colour - concentrating on Macbeth. This colour of red not only represented the blood that Macbeth had spilled, but also the emotion that he was feeling inside is head – anger.
The purpose of our performance was to introduce year nine to the play ‘Macbeth’. By adapting it and adding our own meaning with the target audience in mind we succeeded in introducing the play to the year nines, with the focus on the banquet scene.
