Macbeth

Went to see Macbeth @ the British Council on Saturday. Out-of-Joint, led by Max Stafford-Clark, is a leading UK theatre company (Stafford-Clark ran the Royal Court theatre for years - London's leading experimental theatre company).

The performance was a site-specific promenade around the British Council's lush gardens, creating a real sense of intimacy between audience and cast. The play was African-themed, with Macbeth and cohorts cross-dressing like Charles Taylor's henchmen, as well as with child soldiers. The sound engineering (sounds of crows, owls etc) blended well with the tropical night sounds of cicadas and other insects making their nachtmusik.

The one mistake was to get the witches speaking in French - everyone waits to hear the Fair is Foul Foul is fair lines. Apart from that, the performance was excellent, with Bibi's old friend Danny Sapani excelling in the lead role.

I was chuffed that the company came to Nigeria (the only African country) as part of their world tour.