Alan Cumming's one-man production of Macbeth lands on Broadway. The National Theatre of Scotland's production of MACBETH was performed last summer at the Lincoln Center Festival. Tony Award-winning actor Alan Cumming's virtuoso performance is a bold reimagining of Shakespeare's chilling tale of desire, ambition, and the supernatural.
The production is set in a psychiatric unit and centers on a patient who is reliving the story of Macbeth. CCTV cameras watch the patient's every move and the clinical walls of the unit come to life in a visually stunning multi-media theatrical experience.
The Scottish actor, now best known as the cunning political operative Eli Gold on TV's 'The Good Wife,' brings an authentic burr to the role along with several terabytes of memory. The production, which opened last summer's Lincoln Center Festival (where it wasn't eligible for Tony Award nominations) struck me as even more gimmicky on second viewing. It reveals more about the actor than the would-be king.
In a second viewing of this National Theatre of Scotland production, Cumming is even more verbally dexterous and dynamic...Directors John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg layer the production with spooky sounds and moody music and keep Cumming on the move...Even with all that, this solo stab at the Bard proves to be a case of diminishing returns. The concept becomes less interesting as it goes on. Shakespeare completists will be intrigued. Audience members unfamiliar with the story and who's who will be lost. All will appreciate the stirring turn by Cumming packing theatrical thunder and lightning. Fitting for the asylum setting of this 'Macbeth,' Cumming is fully committed.
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Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
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2013 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Play | Fergus O'Hare |
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Alan Cumming |
2013 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | 0 |
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