Macbeth

Not the play, but the opera by Verdi. Macbeth was playing at the Gaiety Theatre last night, as part of the Opera Ireland season. Brendan accompanied me, and we enjoyed it. It was set in a strange time/place. Some of the costumes looked like WW I uniforms, others 20s and 40s party dresses, while some other scenes were reminiscent of Holocaust movies. I would have prefered something a bit more neutral in terms of setting, or at least more consistent. That said, the production was visually very strong - clever hanging windows/arches that were moved, turned, and even swung at high speed during a battle scene. Very few props, but stiking - I can't shake off the vision of drops of blood falling onto a white chair in the middle of the stage.

Singing was good too - I particularly liked the Canadian soprano Michele Capalbo who played Lady Macbeth (follow that link to the end of the page to see her sing one of the songs from the opera for The View). She's obviously well used to filling much bigger opera houses with her beautifully powerful voice.

I didn't warm as much to Bruno Caproni's Macbeth - but I think it was just me - he got a major ovation at the end of the show. His singing was fine - I just had portrayed Macbeth in my head as a more cunning, calculating, cold, persona, and I found it hard to take him seriously in his ill-fitting uniform.