MC Beth Review

MC Beth was an edgy adaptation set in contemporary Bristol where MC Beth is a respected rapper and loyal member of a local gang. This original take on Shakespeare's Macbeth clearly helped the young cast of non-professional actors, to engage with the subject matter and make it their own. They performed with confidence and clear ownership of the material creating an exciting and engaging production.

A good mix of comedy, contemporary music and action engaged the diverse audience who on the whole appeared not to be a typical theatre or Shakespeare audience. The text was cleverly adapted mixing modern dialogue and poetry with Shakespeare's original words.
The use of a number of performance spaces with the audience in and amongst the action helped break the barrier between spectator and performer, making the performance feel accessible and 'dangerous' at the same time.

Clearly the performers were restricted by their limited acting experience and training but their commitment and engagement with the work made it a very cohesive and inspiring event. As with any project that brings together young people who may be participating in theatre for the first time, or who have had no connection to live performance before, we see a clear mixture of conventional performance style with a highly individual and unconventional interpretation and practice.

It would be very exciting to see how this group could develop given more time to work together, especially if they were encouraged to explore their individuality and create a performance style of their own.

MC Beth was staged as part of the Tank Theatre Project, funded by The Ernest Cook Trust and Avon and Somerset Constabulary Trust.