Merriam-Webster succinctly defines a goblin as “an ugly or grotesque sprite that is usually mischievous and sometimes evil and malicious” while Canadian actor, theatre director and creative artist Rebecca Northan offers an equally concise but less-threatening view, “We like goblins.”
So, alongside fellow theatrical instigator Bruce Horak and innovative music composer/puppeteer Ellis Lalonde, the co-creator of this one-of-kind and marvellously entertaining Goblin:Macbeth has set usually more staid audiences at the Studio Theatre ablaze with unbridled and often seemingly uncontrollable enthusiasm.
Rather than calmly and obediently staying glued to their seats, they oft times leap into the air as part of spontaneous waves more generally associated with sporting events, loudly shouting their pleasure, displeasure or even advice at a trio of magical gnomes wearing expressionless but delightfully grotesque Hollywood-style silicone masks while prancing about a sparsely adorned centre stage.
So, what exactly is this creatively bizarre slice of twisted Shakespeare from Spontaneous Theatre, part of the Meighen Forum, all about? Superficially it’s quite simple – a trio of inquisitive mythical creatures find The Complete Works of Shakespeare, suddenly deciding to perform his famous Scottish play Macbeth, a bit of what they consider pretend theatre as opposed to real life.
Hence the title.
The rationale of their mission is considerably more complex, essentially an exploration of humanity with all its foibles, and, conversely, merits. They’ve determined Shakespeare can be trusted because he’s written about witches and goblins so understands their world.
Why Macbeth? Compared to the Bard’s other works, the goblins note it is appropriately short. Conveniently it is also the right length for the actual production which comes in a concise, nicely designed 90+minute package, including 30 minutes of human/creature kibitzing in the lobby and theatre.
Performing on a set nicely showcasing various bits from other Festival productions the company, briskly directed by Northan, do real justice to a somewhat cropped down version of Macbeth while enlivening the Bard’s serious text of tragedy, murder and melancholy with well-inserted moments of their considerable improvisational skills.
Lalonde, contributing some humour with his two cohorts, also captures much of the production’s well-balanced alternating moods of outright hilarity and tragic solemnity away from the duo.
Perched amongst his assorted percussive musical instruments, mouth harps, bells, whistles, he offers hauntingly chilly vocal moments while also ingeniously and lovingly plays a few bars of Deep Purple’s classic Smoke on the Water on his trusty accordion.
With the trio’s improvisational skills on display throughout this unique presentation, there are countless non-Shakespearean moments that transform Goblin:Macbeth into a highly inventive vehicle that may very well stand alone on its own innovative credits for many years to come.
Whether it’s the goblins argumentatively critiquing one another’s own performances in their odd gravelly voices, trotting out an occasional bit of modern slang like, “I’m sorry my dad is such a pill”, or complaining about the pronunciation of odd words just to maintain the correctness of Shakespeare’s rhyming couplets, there are no dull moments.
Then there’s the glorious addition of a happily engaged participatory audience as an integral part of the work, much like in productions that started cropping up in the late 1960s through the 1970s and beyond, actually becoming a collective troupe of unpaid thespians almost attached to the acting company.
It’s not new because in Britain audience engagement has been expected and encouraged over the decades during the Christmas season when flamboyant pantomimes, more commonly referred to as pantos, hit stages throughout the country.
Jeering and hurling good-natured insults directed at the villain or warning the hero that a certain character, “is right behind you” decidedly works across the pond whether it’s being directed toward the likes of Ian MacLellan, Dawn French or even the late Davy Jones of Monkees' fame.
Judging by much-circulated scuttlebutt from Stratford audiences attending a play that focuses on mythical creatures trying to determine through William Shakespeare whether humans are as monstrous as them, this boisterous involvement from ticket holders is a vital theatrical element.
On the one hand, active theatregoers can enhance both the company’s alertness and appreciation of different crowds’ reactions night-after-night as well as reinforcing the power of the actors’ inherent mastery of improvisation. Everyone is on the top of their respective games at all times.
At any given show – evening or matinee – an unexpecting patron of the arts may find herself labelled a witch in a truly favourable fashion simply because she quickly put an end to an annoying noise emanating from an electronic device.
Although such success eluded the momentarily frustrated goblin, he quickly embraced his newly found witchy friend showering her with accolades and various comforts afforded such a clever individual. Others became first captains in a quickly established Scottish army while the rest of those seated in the Studio Theatre waved leaves and branches or simply flicked their fingers about.
The full company, while compact compared to most Stratford productions, is clearly integral to the production’s success. Costume designer Philip Edwards’ efforts are on-the-mark visually while Anton DeGroot’s original lighting – dark, foreboding, eerie and often stark, seems curiously much like that of the film noir genre so should there be a new category Shakespeare Noir?
Masks by Composite Effects do the trick simply but effectively, Hanne Loosen’s props are on the mark while stage manager Lili Beaudoin is a strong presence in a variety of roles. Does one stoop to the dreaded spoiler alert or casually refer to the goblin threat of eating one argumentative staffer “from the toes up” if she refuses to retire to the lighting booth to do the job properly?
While the work is being embraced by the general public, it does however come with an advisory of sorts that the production contains material and occasional use of strong language that some people may find offensive. As a result, is recommended for audiences aged 15 and above.
The world première of Goblin:Macbeth was produced in 2022 by The Shakespeare Company and Hit and Myth Productions in Calgary, Alberta. The current production at the Studio Theatre continues until Oct. 28.
