Word: donalbain
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Sexuality and swords--an ancient metaphor, and one that becomes tiresome about halfway through the evening. Yet it helps create a shaky, violent world in which fact and fiction, murder and loyalty, blur dangerously. When the king's party enter Macbeth's castle to spend the fateful night, young Donalbain screams and falls to the ground with a dagger in his side--just kidding, of course. Banquo's ghost strolls in and pours himself a nice, long draught (rather bloody, actually) at Macbeth's banquet. The messenger warning Lady Macduff of impending doom tries to seduce her after her moody...
JACK Gwillim is a kindly, virtuous King Duncan; and it is a felicitous touch to have him embrace Macbeth before retiring to his final sleep. Kurt Garfield's bleeding Captain sounds more Jewish than Scottish, Theodore Sorel's Angus is poorly spoken too, and Richard Backus' Donalbain is weak. Jeanne Bartlett is adequate as the ill-fated Lady Macduff, and William Larsen's old Siward is a decided asset. Macduff's son (Glenn Zachar) is far too old; so is Fleance (Keith McDermott), who seems to be assisted in his escape by the mysterious Third Murderer engaged to kill...
...Tynan-Polanski adaptation contains some arresting notions. Ross becomes the third murderer of Banquo, and Donalbain (whom Shakespeare banished to Ireland early in the action) here reappears at the end of the play, riding across the grim countryside to seek counsel from the three witches. This ominous epilogue neatly evokes the idea of a cyclical, irresistible destiny...
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