Review by Marina Funcasta
Brooke Dunbar sets herself no easy project: notoriously tragic, the story of Macbeth is a hard one to tell without falling into ominous supernatural pot holes. One of Shakespeare’s heavier tragedies, this cautionary tale is usually met with tears and gasps. In Dunbar’s case, however, the gasps were awe-inspired, and the tears were cured with pacifiers.
Remarkably light, Macbeth for Bairns is an hour of pure wonder. From Shakespearean songs, to toad stool hats and plastic marshmallow toys, this version of Macbeth is not only inventive but genuinely engaging – for bairns and adults alike! This is a credit to Dunbar’s own charisma, balancing a teasing and powerful confidence with a sense of childish play. Encouraging the children to get up and mess around, Dunbar is familiar with the chaos of her audience, and instead of controlling it she chooses to match it. It is this attitude which fills her entire show with genuine joy.
Pure Wonder
Macbeth for Bairns runs at The Scottish Storytelling Centre
Running time: Fifty minutes without interval
Image credit: Charlotte Bredon Nightingale
Review by Marina Funcasta (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina’s interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
