How do you spice up Shakespeare? How about adding a little alcohol? Toronto’s Urban Bard Theatre Company is doing just that with their new production, Drunk Macbeth, playing at the Tranzac Club on November 23. I had the chance to grab a coffee with Urban Bard’s director, Scott Emerson Moyle, and chat about his new production, his love of classical theatre, LEGO staging techniques, and the drinking habits of his theatre company.
Drunk Macbeth by Dahlia Katz
Scott Emerson Moyle, an actor by trade, started Urban Bard in 2009, with a production of Twelfth Night. When I asked him why, his answer didn’t surprise me.
“It’s really hard to get people under 50 excited about classical theatre.” He said. “It’s very tough for Shakespeare to find an audience, particularly if you’re doing a play that people have heard of. The point of Urban Bard has always been to make classical theatre accessible. Weirdly the best attended show we’re ever done was The Two Noble Kinsmen, because people got to come to Shakespeare and not know what was going to happen next.”
Urban Bard is trying to change expectations. Each show is a twist on a conventional play, giving the performance a new dimension and the audience something unexpected. Most of us know the story of Hamlet, but what happens when you take it out of a theatre? Scott uses their production of Twelfth Night as an example.
“Our first production, was performed in the courtyard behind College Park. We were outside and the audience actually followed the show around. Viola and the Captain came through the fountain. When you’re literally walking 100 feet either way, it shapes the story in an interesting way. The response we got was just huge, so we decided to do it again. Classical theatre done in a way that is accessible and responds to its performance space – that is what we do. We will never do a show in a theatre.”
Urban Bard Presents Twelfth Night
Drunk Macbeth will be performed on the same principles, though with a more obvious twist. Macbeth starts the play sober but will be handed a half-ounce shot of whiskey by one of the other characters, each time he enters the stage. “I got the idea while watching Drunk History at my mother’s place. Take someone who is an expert in something, get them hammered and watch their expertise still work.” Scott explained. “Not everyone should be drunk. That would be boring. But, what if one person is drunk? No, what if one person starts out sober and then gets dunk? Aside from the fact that Macbeth is drinking, we plan to put on the best show that we can.”
His enthusiasm for the project was contagious as he explained the historical importance of the costumes and the decisions that went into staging. His entire cast consists of nine actors who will be playing multiple roles and the script was edited to make sure all characters on stage could be filled by actors. The play itself will be performed in a bar, and while there is a small stage, it comes with its own concerns. Because of the layout, there is no way for actors to cross the stage without being seen so all entrances and exists must be perfectly planned out. How did he visualize his production? LEGO! Scott Emerson Moyle went through his script with LEGO figures (Macbeth even has a tiny cup!) to make sure his cues were possible. How’s that for ingenuity?
Moyles believes Macbeth is the perfect choice for this kind of adaptation. It’s not Drunk Hamlet or Drunk King Lear for a reason. The character of Macbeth starts the play in pretty good shape but, little by little, he falls apart. He’s pressured by the people around him, and in the end, everything goes to pieces. Lady Macbeth will be literally handing him a glass filled with his undoing. Although a heavy-handed metaphor, it’s one that fits perfectly. The outcome will be a complete surprise and Moyle doesn’t see a downside. If Macbeth is able to finish the play through his drunken haze, that’s fantastic. If he has to be dragged through the last act by the rest of the cast, that’s okay too. It’s new, it’s interesting, and no one knows how it will turn out. That’s the goal. The director smiled, clearly excited for the possibilities. “Imagine seeing Macbeth and not knowing what’s going to happen at the end. It’s win-win.”
Shakespeare’s stories are so ingrained in our culture that we barely recognize them anymore. Breaking Bad is a retelling of Macbeth. Sons of Anarchy is unabashedly Hamlet. We know these stories, and when they’re dressed up, the dialogue is updated, and the names are changed, we love these stories. Shakespearean theatre isn’t just the tedious analysis done in a classroom. It’s also comedy, drama, action and humanity. You can’t just read Shakespeare. You have to see it. Urban Bard wants to make sure that you do.
Visit Urban Bard for more information. You can purchase tickets in advance at http://drunkmacbeth.brownpapertickets.com/
