Macbeth- Review

 Following the plot of the original Shakespearean story, Macbeth is a comedy interpreted by three actors using a ridiculously low amount of props and lighting. It was without a doubt, the best Portuguese play I have ever seen and I am still mesmerized by it. The performances were great, each one had to portray several characters, like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, reporters, children… All of them done perfectly. Perhaps the most impressive characteristic of the play was the physicality. The actors used their bodies very precisely and skillfully, giving life and a lot of humor to the play. 

 The use of sound was great too, using almost always their voices to convey dark caves or cheerful dinners. One element they used quite a lot was a format that consisted on a journalist interviewing different characters of the classic play, so the story could be told more easily and creating humorous opportunities as well. Having almost no props, the creativity had to step up, and so it did. The battles for example, were reenacted using only two men fighting their microphone stands with knives and having full castle doors portrayed by two cables. The play had a very fast and intense energy throughout, and there was a single moment of boredom or stillness (unless it was used for comic effects), the transitions were perfectly smooth and synchronized, all of this making Macbeth one of the greatest plays these young eyes have ever witnessed. 

 Chapito was the company that made this play that was set up 30 years, and it works to integrate into the world young people through circus and theatre in a professional and formative way, giving them formation and the necessary skills to improve their creative ability and social formation. It was created to expand the value of social and cultural arts in Portugal, making it a national reference in terms of the performing arts.