Macbeth two

Last week to the Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre to see Macbeth, prompted by an email advertisement from the ATG theatre group. At £16 compared to maybe £100 in the west end, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. Plus we could compare and contrast with the performance noticed at reference 1.

One of two images of Lear by Pollock turned up by Google

Plus we got to see a performance directed by the director of the world famous Folger Shakespeare Library, one Michael Witmore, From where, I might say, I bought our strip cartoon version of King Lear, curated by one Ian Pollock. Possibly the chap at reference 2.

The ticket

So we caught the train to Wimbledon on an afternoon bright after the rain of the day before. Half moon - a gibbous moon - high in the south east. Heron flying north over the Meadway roundabout.

We noticed someone delivering a pizza or some such to one of the flats opposite the station and wondered what the domestic arrangements were that one should want to eat a warm, soggy pizza in the comfort of one's own home. In our own case, if normal catering arrangements falter, there is nearly always bread and cheese - and if that fails there is always enough in the cupboard to knock up something hot. With both options, to my mind, being better than takeaway pizza.

Off at Wimbledon, where we saw just one person in a white mask and just one in a black mask.

DJ's corner at the pub

Onto the Old Frizzle, where we entertained by barmaids in full dress, including one black girl with a spectacular hairdo. Who knows how much time and money she spent on it. Complemented by a couple of shabby looking chaps weighed down by lots of bags from TK Maxx. Otherwise fairly busy for early Friday evening, looked set to be a good deal busier and including doormen by the time we left for our show.

The production

The set in the studio

It turned out that the show was being put on by the Quantum Theatre, an outfit from Bannockburn Road (appropriately!) in Plumstead. And their Michael Whitmore is nothing to do with the Michael Witmore without an 'h' already noticed, with this one having trained at Guildford and founded this theatre getting on for thirty years ago.

No cast list, no programme and not many seats. But all full, with a lot of what looked like A level students of English.

A rather basic set, made up of bits and pieces. Costumes turned out to be rather basic too, but vaguely period. All of which worked rather well, rather better than it had in Guildford. Clever use of shadow drama from behind a net curtain, muslin or some such. Not as much music & movement as Guildford, but rather serious use of swords. Some of the serious speeches seemed more like going through the motions than for real; perhaps today's luvvies are not really trained to it. Cast of five which meant there was a lot of doubling up, but that worked here.

The play ran to about an hour for the first half, a bit more for the second. For the second time, I failed to spot one of my father's favourite speeches about being 'klept/ All by the name of dogs', from Act III, Sc.I. According to reference 3 there are 2,477 lines altogether, usually declaimed at the rate of 1,000 lines to the hour, which makes the full Monty two and a half hours. A good deal of cutting - but it still worked. A much more successful production than that at Guildford to our minds.

Illicit alcohol on the train

Just caught a train on exit and no-one saw fit to complain about my modest amount of illicit alcohol, left over from what had served as the theatre bar. Spent the journey speculating about how translation to a 21st century boardroom battle might work, with wives and families fully engaged. With the Russian oligarch version, a falling out of thieves, included.

Out at Epsom to some blockage at the station, possibly Uber people picking up blocking the rightful place of black cabs. Less than 10 people in the Blenheim when we passed. Remembered to take a moon shot then in to bread, hard cheese - the Coolea, previously noticed - and a spot of Calvados.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/02/macbeth-one.html.

Reference 2: http://ianpollock.co.uk/.

Reference 3: https://www.quantumtheatre.co.uk/.

Reference 4: https://www.playshakespeare.com/study/play-lengths.