“Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” – Lady Macbeth
More to the point, who would have dreamed that “Macbeth,” one of William Shakespeare’s most intense tragedies, could be so much fun?
As conceived by directors Teller (of Penn & Teller fame) and Aaron Posner, this Grand Guignol reimagining of the oft-performed classic, currently playing at the Folger Theatre, is a bloody good show in more ways than one. Their irreverent approach to the material is established at the very beginning with a bit of black comedy that will be particularly satisfying to any theatergoer who has had to suffer through a long-winded preshow introduction.
Set in medieval Scotland, the tale begins when two of the King’s generals, Macbeth (Ian Merrill Peakes) and Banquo (Paul Morella), encounter the Three Weird Sisters (Eric Hissom, Cleo House Jr., and Andrew Zox), portrayed here as George Romero-style walking corpses, who prophesize that though Macbeth will soon become the king, Banquo will eventually provide an heir to the throne.
Lady Macbeth (Kate Eastwood Norris) conspires with her husband to make the prediction a reality by murdering King Duncan (Dan Olmstead). Once the deed is done, the Macbeths become the royal couple, but fear of being usurped draws them into a perpetual cycle of assassination and reprisal.
The performances are uniformly exciting and believable. Peakes and Norris are younger, more vulnerable versions of the lead roles as opposed to the middle-age couples found in traditional presentations. Here, the duo chiefly resembles the murderous but ultimately incompetent protagonists usually found in the pulp novels of James M. Cain and Jim Thompson.
The real stars of the production, however, are the visual panache and stage illusions provided by the directors. Far from being just gimmicks, these touches make key moments of the story, such as Macbeth’s vision of a floating dagger and the appearance of Banquo’s ghost at a royal banquet, more comprehensible to the audience.
All in all, there is nothing stuffy or ponderous about Teller and Posner’s thrilling new take on “Macbeth.”
‘Macbeth’
Through April 13
» Venue: The Folger Theatre at Folger Shakespeare Library, 202 E.Capitol St. SE
» Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m . Sundays
» Tickets: $34 to $55
» More info: 202-544-7077
