THEATRE
MODERN SHAKESPEARE INVOKATION OF LADY MACBETH Summerhall, Edinburgh, Wed 27, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Nov
Thanks to the saturation of Macbeths, it’s rare for a production to escape predictable interpretations, yet Invokation of Lady Macbeth cracks the script and lets the darkness escape. Industrial rock outfit Black Sun Drum Korps, lead by Drum Major Russell MacEwan, has been reworking Shakespeare’s tale of regicide for the past 18 months. Following performances at London’s BDSM nightclub Torture Garden, Glasgow’s Buzzcut Festival developed Macbeth into a ferocious fusion of pounding percussion and sinister script. ‘I found studying Shakespeare quite dry, even those plays that have got magic and sex and death,’ says
writer Ale Robertson. ‘How can you make it boring when there is murder and betrayal? It’s great stuff: what we try to do is keep those things fresh.’ By using the cut-up technique, ‘invented by William Burroughs and most famously used by David Bowie,’ Robertson explains, Black Sun Drum Korps have re-imagined Shakespeare. ‘We’ve changed a fair bit of the existing text into something more occult.’
The focus on Lady Macbeth, Russell admits, was a surprise: across ten previous Invokations, her story
seemed to demand attention. ‘The theme is power,’ he says. ‘In our version, Lady Macbeth is way more political, way more controlling. I think her strength hasn’t been explored.’ Strength in Invokation comes from the use of industrial percussion and the group’s intense drumming, evoking a visceral horror and the past glories of bands like Test Department and Swans (the latter’s Jarboe has provided vocals for some of Black Sun Drum Korps’ cut-ups). While most Shakespearean adaptations rely on the poetry, Invokation makes the themes of power and
brutality audible and visible, celebrating the hidden horror beneath the fine words and splitting open the bard’s uncompromising vision of political disorder. (Gareth K Vile)
102 THE LIST 14 Nov–12 Dec 2013
■ ST ANDREW SQUARE St Andrew Square LIMBO Fri 22 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, times vary. £10–£17.50. An exciting mix of acrobatics and live music. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs Sun 24 Nov–Sun 15 Dec (not Mon). See Kids listings. ■ ST SERF’S CHURCH HALLS 1a Clark Road, inverleithsaintserfs. org.uk Hickory Dickory Dock Wed 4–Sat 7 Dec. See Kids listings.
■ SUMMERHALL 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. Edinburgh Unites: Theatre Uncut Fri 15 Nov, 7.30pm. £5. Short works by playwrights across the world, written in response to their political situation. See preview, page 96. Invokation of Lady Macbeth Wed 27, Fri 29 & Sat 30 Nov, 8pm. £13. A fresh take on Shakespeare’s dark tragedy. See preview, page 99.
■ TRAVERSE THEATRE Cambridge Street, 228 1404. Ciphers Until Sat 16 Nov, 7.30pm (Sat 2.30pm also). £15.50 (£8–£12.50). The world of spooks and spies get the Trav treatment. See preview, page 100. Feral Fri 15 & Sat 16 Nov, 8pm. £15.50 (£8–£12.50). Mixed media theatre combining puppetry, film and live sound from the team behind Grit.
✽ Stella – A Story of Women, Their Men and Astronomy Tue 19 & Wed 20 Nov, 8pm. £15.50 (£8–£12.50). A play about the historical roles played by women in astronomy featuring the stories of radio astronomer Jessica Bell, and Caroline Herschel, comet sweeper from the 18th century. FREE Traverse Sessions Thu 21 Nov & Mon 16 Dec, 8pm. Free music and spoken word nights featuring some of the best talent Edinburgh has to offer. Ciara Tue 3–Sat 21 Dec (not Sun & Mon), 7.30pm (Sat 2.30pm also). £15.50–£17.50 (£8–£14). Award winning play about a woman coming to terms with her father’s past. Ages 14+.
■ THE TRON 9 Hunter Square, High Street, 225 3784. Open Up Tuesdays 26 Nov & 10 Dec, 7.30pm. £5 (£3; members £2). Open night featuring monologues, duologues or any scene under ten minutes.
■ THE VAULT 11 Merchant Street, 510 0022. Goblin’s Story Tue 19–Sun 24 Nov, 7.30pm. £8 (students £6). The 19th century poem is given a new perspective by Charlotte Productions. ■ WRITERS’ MUSEUM Lady Stair’s Close, Lawnmarket, 529 4901. FREE My Own, My Native Land Tue 19–Fri 22 Nov. See Kids listings.
OUTSIDE THE CITIES
■ THE BRUNTON Ladywell Way, Musselburgh, 665 2240. Sleeping Beauty Tue 26 Nov–Sat 4 Jan, times vary. £14.25–£16.50 (£11.25–£13.50; family £49–£58). The annual panto packed with gags.
■ DUNDEE REP Tay Square, Dundee, 01382 223530. The BFG Thu 28 Nov–Fri 21 Dec, times vary. See Kids listings. ■ MACROBERT University of Stirling, Stirling, 01786 466666. Beauty and The Beast Wed 27 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, times vary. See Kids listings.