THEATRE REVIEWS

Referred to as the Scottish play, but it never is. This time we had tinted great coats over sparkly chain mail. Macbeth's chain mail looked like a butcher's apron, which in reality it was. The speech that came from the actors' mouths was clear, but it lacked real passion as we moved from scene to scene. For all that, the evening of William Shakespeare was enjoyable and appreciated by the audience at the end when the players took their bows.

Directed by Ian Brown at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, the actors performed Shakespeare's speeches allowing the story to unfold clearly whilst the audience sit in silence taking in every word; this would have made a very good radio play. David Westhead gives us Macbeth and Michelle Fairley his lady as they go about their treacherous deeds and get their just returns. This is a typical Shakespearean story of family feuds, betrayal and murder. The complimentary lighting effects by Guy Hoare almost at times hide the dark atmospheric set designed by Ruari Murchison. The play is overshadowed by this night time feel and takes all the colour away from the story of clan rivalry.