“MACBETH.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 662, 16 January 1933, Page 8

“MACBETH.”

Lewis Casson’s Excellent Interpretation. A GREAT PRODUCTION. Although Shaw’s “ Saint Joan ” is regarded as the most important play in the repertoire of Dame Sybil Thorndike's talented company, Saturday night’s production of “ Macbeth ” at the Theatre Royal made a more profound impression than the first piece. There were several reasons for this: The authority of Shakespeare among men of supreme genius does not diminish with the passing of time; it grows. Familiarity with his work neither stales delight irt it nor reduces the wonder at its variety. The beauty and dramatic strength of “ Macbeth is beyond question, but much of it is lost if the interpretation is at all lacking. Such was not the case on Saturday night. . It is fairly safe to say that every producer and every company has different methods in playing Shakespeare, but the Dame Sybil Thorndike company has caught the spirit of the work, and the result is enthralling. While not failing to give due emphasis to the beauty of the text the tedious declamatory utterance was avoided and a more natural, inflection and a less stilted form of acting brought out the true value of the play as a thrilling and moving tragedy. The audience was permitted full appreciation of such arresting passages as “Is this a dagger ?” But Lewis Casson spoke the lines, not as a set piece for ornate elocution, but in such a manner that the audience was given a glimpse into the very soul of an agonised man—driven to act against the dictates of his better nature by the valorous tongue of his unscrupulous wife. Another important factor in the success of the play was the clever stagecraft of Lewis Casson, who also acted as producer. While the settings were always simple, they never failed to be impressive and there was no anticlimatic hiatus between scenes. Appropriate lighting was also a welcome feature, and the costumes were picturesque and true to period. I Lewis Casson’s Macbeth was a triumph of acting. The change wrought by fear and a knowledge of guilt upon a man whose only original fault was weakness was admirably portrayed. His characterisation was always restrained and natural, yet the impression of tragedy and foreboding was always there. The audience saw Dame Sybil in one of her most famous roles as Lad} r Macbeth. The feeling of tragedy deepened with her every appearance and the vibrant richness of her beautiful voice compelled a breathless attention. Her unconventional interpretation of the sleep-walking scene was remarkable, for she successfully conveyed the impression of speech dulled by sleep with more than a hint of pathos and tragedy ringing in the background. Sharing the honours with the principals, Atholl Fleming (Macduff) and Albert Chevalier (Banquo) were strong in their parts, bringing out all the qualities with which Shakespeare invested the role§. Vivian Edwards made good use of a fine voice as Ross. Miss Phyllis Best (Lennox) was adequate, although the part should have been a man’s. Christopher Casson’s characterisation of the good and wholly lovable King Duncan was very faithful, and Donald Eccles (Malcolm), was full of youthful exuberance and energy, as well as being decorative. The brevity of appearance of Bruce Winston as the porter was unfortunate, as he is a popular member of the cast and completely captivated the audience with his few lines. Hilda Davies, Zillah Carter and Michael Martin-llarvey were very weird as the three sisters. While never visible in the mists in which they were surrounded, they moved in awful mystery. Itis to be regretted that the season of “ Macbeth ” was so brief.

TO-NIGHT’S PRODUCTION.

To-night Dame Sybil will appear in comedy for the first time this season, when “ Captain Brassbound’g Conversion ” will be presented. The “Herald” wrote of the first production of this play in Melbourne: “It was a flawless performance which showed Dame Sybil as great in comedy as in tragedy.”