Edinburgh Fringe 2009
Low Down
Six million people own a timeshare, and we had to pick Macbeth as our neighbour. Can’t we do anything right?
Review
Apparently six million people own a timeshare, that’s about one in every ten people in the UK. One of them is Macbeth, or so says the premise of this madcap, engaging piece from Hubble Bubble’s Terry Rogers. And Macbeth’s apartment is right between those being shared by two holidaying couples.
Simon and Vicky have arranged for Malcolm and Judy to join them in Costa del Somewhere for what is supposed to be a sunshine break but merely crystallises a bitter workplace rivalry between Simon and Malcolm. The tension is palpable between these two, between Vicky and Simon, between Malcolm and Vicky and between Judy and just about everyone. The fact that they are all waiting for Duncan, due to announce which of Simon and Malcolm has got the promotion they were both up for, doesn’t help either. Where is he? Why isn’t he answering his mobile? Why doesn’t he return text messages? It’s like waiting for Godot – is he ever going to come?
Throw in copious quantities of alcohol to fuddle the minds of our foursome, the appearance of clan Macbeth plotting murders, quaffing cocktails, checking their mobiles for messages and leaving daggers lying around and you have all the ingredients for a fast moving and at times absurdist farce. Great fun it is too, with split second timing from the eight actors ensuring that the pace never slackens and the laughs keep flowing. And the idea of juxtaposing Shakespeare’s wonderful flowing prose with modern language works surprisingly well, once you’re used to it.
Adrienne-Marie Zitt is superb as Lady Macbeth with Tom Franck villainously threatening as her husband. Mirand Colmans as Judy mixes paranoia with an acerbic tongue to great effect supported by Robert Bradley as her entertainingly fussy husband. Arthur James as Simon is appropriately laddish and is well matched by his scheming wife, Theresa Ohanian.
The final, explosive denouement has us on the edge of our seats as our holidaying quartet realise the situation they are in. But as the situation flares out of control, someone’s mobile phone goes off on stage. Can you believe it – it’s ……..” Blackout!
