WEIRDER THOU ART by Ardyth Johnson (Physically Speaking). At St. Vladimir Theatre. July 12 at 1:45 pm, July 14 at noon, July 16 at 8:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NNN
A handful of shows at this years Fringe reference the Scottish play, but this one gives it a slapstick Three Stooges treatment that is lots of raunchy fun, especially if you know the play well.
Its the year 1040, and three cauldron-stirring witches are waiting for Macbeth to appear. But they cant find the guy, so they kidnap a playwright named William Shakespeare to take on the part, and presumably Will will get the inspiration to eventually write the work. (Centuries later? Never mind.)
Plot and logic are the least interesting things about the show. Director/writer Ardyth Johnson is more concerned with quick sight gags (in a shadow play scene, Duncan is killed by a penis-shaped dagger to the ass) and groan-worthy puns. Loved the Into The Woods reference for the Birnam Wood sequence.
The up-for-anything (pun included) cast gooses the material, especially Upstart Crow veteran Stephen Flett as one of the hags and Philip Krusto as a Monty Pythonesque Bard.
The lighting and projection designs on the night I attended were a little wonky, but the props and Heather Forgies imaginative costumes add a lot to the entertaining anarchy. And I’ve seen less effective Act Four prophecy scenes in actual productions of Mackers.
