Macbeth apropos to Rupert Goold's and Gregory Doran's stagecraft: Equivocation, violence, and vulnerability

Abstract

If Macbeth is Shakespeare's play of equivocation and doubleness, Rupert Goold's and Gregory Doran's productions were informed by like concerns, even having double performance lives on stage and on film. Doran's production followed along the lines of Trevor Nunn's 1976 staging, which highlighted the interiority of the Macbeths in the intimate space of The Other Place. Besides creating a sense of intimacy on the Swan's stage, Doran underscored the play's political relevance. Goold's mise-en-scène, also performed in an intimate space, pushed further Doran's militaristic staging. Jan Kott's reading of Macbeth as a ‘nightmare’ also offers a yardstick for production choices.