'Macbeth', known too as the Scottish play (have also heard Verdi's opera coined the Scottish opera), is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, with some of Shakespeare's most deservedly famous characters and lines/solliloquies. It is one of his most quotable/oft-quoted plays and one of his most accessible to study in schools, from personal experience and studying it twice (no other Shakespeare play had me studying it more than once at school).
While not one of my favourite 'Macbeths', have a preference for the Roman Polanski, Ian McKellen/Judi Dench and Patrick Stewart versions, this 2013 production seen as part of the National Theatre Live series is a very interesting and very well done one. Have never seen 'Macbeth' staged or formatted in this way, with a quite unique layout for the audience for the location, but that was what was so intriguing about this production. Just to say, different does not mean immediately bad in my book, it's when what's different is gratuitously and distastefully done when it's a bad thing, personally didn't find either the case here.
The production is not perfect. Alex Kingston on the most part is well cast as Lady Macbeth, but she does go over the top in the latter stages of the production. Have never seen such manic staging in any production for 'Macbeth' or anything involving sleep-walking.
Also found the witches disappointing. The characters should be spooky and foreboding, but the interpretations for the witches here veered on being too deranged and like they'd just escaped from an asylum.
However, this is a very atmospheric production of 'Macbeth' visually and one of the more evocative ones. Thought the use of muck and such was very effective and how it most likely would have been done if done cinematically, the lighting provides the right amount of doom and gloom without being heavy-handed on it and there is a sense of time and place that has not always been the case with "concept productions" of Shakespeare. Branagh's direction makes great use of the space and this unique layout and the drama is dark and intense, the themes of deception that 'Macbeth' is centred around not glossed over or overdone, but accessible and didn't come over as self-indulgent or excessive to me, only the sleepwalking was misjudged. Have seen Branagh criticised for this in the past so wanted to show my stance on it, also really like a lot (not all) of his Shakespeare work acting and directing and feel that he loves Shakespeare and understands him.
Branagh does a great job in the title role and didn't feel he over-acted at all and agree more with anybody regarding him as an intelligent interpretator of Shakespeare, his portrayal is authoritative throughout and his solliloquies never were delivered too slowly or like he sounded bored. If there was a slightly more manic approach occasionally, there are scenes such as the Banquo's ghost scene where that isn't inappropriate. Kingston is a little less consistent, but most of the time like in the scheming she is blood-curdling and there is a sense of at this point of the play Lady Macbeth being the instigator in the deed.
Jimmy Yuill is a noble and loyal Banquo and Ray Fearon is incredibly moving in the latter parts of the production, especially when learning of the fate of his family. The character interaction has depth and motivations and such are made clear and there is a good understanding of why characters act and things plan out the way they do, which is not always the case with concept productions.
On the whole, very good with a lot of fantastic things. Just needed some toning down in spots. 8/10
