{"id":592,"date":"2019-12-09T07:01:14","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T07:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/20\/?p=592"},"modified":"2022-02-05T13:33:42","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T13:33:42","slug":"macbettu-immersing-in-the-hollow-crown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/20\/macbettu-immersing-in-the-hollow-crown\/","title":{"rendered":"Macbettu<\/em>: Immersing in the \u201cHollow Crown\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Penelope Chatzidimitriou<\/strong>*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teatro di Sardegna, Macbettu <\/em>by William Shakespeare, dir. Alessandro Serra. Real Magic<\/span> by Forced Entertainment, dir. Tim Etchells. Seen at the 54th Demetria Festival, October 2019, Thessaloniki, Greece.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macbettu<\/em>, one of the major international performances featured in the 54th Demetria Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece, does not turn Shakespearean tragedy into an extravaganza. Stripped of all royal garments, crowns left aside, no blood spilled on the stage floor, this Sardinian Macbeth<\/em>, directed by Alessandro Serra, becomes a chiaroscuro study in the human abyss. The merits of this performance, much hailed by international audiences and critics for blending the Shakespearean literary and stage tradition (an all-male cast is used) with the Sardinian prehistoric culture, unfold before our eyes. The precise, martial-like physicality of the actors, the musicality of the Sardinian translation, the sometimes sensually disturbing and always imposing natural soundscape catch our immediate attention and immerse us deeply in an otherworldly state: The originality of Alessandro Serra\u2019s reading is instantly felt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Macbettu<\/em>, a king without a crown. Photo: Alessandro Serra<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

To avoid treating the play as a mere literary text, Serra finds inspiration in the natural landscape of Sardinia, its indigenous culture and the carnivalistic tradition in the Barbaria region. This is a choice that sweeps away all realistic psychological drama, from the acting to the setting. The evil is not illustrated in words but becomes subtly corporeal, visual and sonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video 1<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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