Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Panto Macbeth
Mermaids Performing Arts Fund
Genre: Comedy
Venue: Greenside @ Riddle’s Court Thistle
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Panto Macbeth does what it says on the tin. It’s fifty minutes of panto fun, boys and girls, about everyone’s favorite regicidal Scot. Performances that wouldn’t seem amiss in That Mitchell and Webb Look or A Bit of Fry and Laurie are rounded out by sharp writing and direction. A silly and engaging bit of Bard-centric humor.
Review
The director of the Panto club has died in a mysterious boating accident, but that’s alright, because the Acting Director is here to ensure the production of Macbeth goes swimmingly. With a Macbeth stolen from across the courtyard, we are now ready for fifty minutes of classic panto fare, with the minor exception being it is a Shakespeare tragedy instead of, say, Dick Whittington or something more normal. We are treated to a chain-smoking Lady Macbeth, a trio of witches more interested in pitching their Fringe show, and a spooky ghost that’s RIGHT BEHIND YOU (oh no he isn’t).
There are no molds broken in Panto Macbeth, but there’s something refreshing in itself about that. This is a very adept twist on the pantomime, very ably smooshing the macabre world of Macbeth into the format usually reserved for Disney-adjacent properties and D-list actors at Christmastime. The writing is snappy with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that call back to the silly humor of Monty Python (“They’ve rekidnapped Macbeth!”), to the point where it’s easy to miss the obvious craft that went into it, so effortless does it feel. The cast themselves are up for the challenge of multiple roles, their performances ranging from the Izzardian to the Mitchell and Webb-esque, getting a great response from an audience of a wide range of ages. At times, it was difficult to understand the dialogue, particularly if it was coming from the earnest Macbeth speaking the original Shakespearean words, though luckily we had Lady Macbeth to translate for him. Because of the fast-paced nature of the show, there were some long pauses that felt saggy or deflated, something that will likely be tightened up as the run progresses.
All in all, Panto Macbeth does exactly what it says on the tin. The company has created a riotous and delightful fifty-minutes of Fringe, so be the wicked thing, and go their way.
Panto Macbeth is at Greenside @ Riddle’s Court Thistle Theatre until 24 August at 13:50.
