Macbeth Review – Shakespeare’s Shocking Tragedy

First performed in 1606 and later published in the Folio of 1623, MACBETH has long stymied experts about its inspiration and when it was written. Many feel that MACBETH was penned by the Bard in 1603 to celebrate the crowning of King James and the Stuart accession to the throne.  Others feel that it might have been written in 1606 to commemorate the Gunpowder Plot, a famous rebellion in the Bard’s day. Some have noted that the play was inspired by Hollingshead’s Chronicles of 1587 or perhaps other histories written around the time that Shakespeare developed the story. One thing is clear: MACBETH is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy (for example, only half as long as “Hamlet”). Experts have posited that the MACBETH script that survived from Shakespeare’s day may have really been a piecemeal compilation of bits and scenes recalled by thespians of his day. Be that as it may, most agree that MACBETH is one of the Bard’s most physically violent plays, one that delves into the damaging psychological effects of overweening ambition and the quest for power.

Julanne Chidi Hill and Kamal Bolden – Photo by Craig Schwartz

Over the years, MACBETH has proven to be one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays and has been adapted to film, television, opera, novels, comics, and almost all forms of media. MACBETH has also been assayed by many of the theater’s most renowned actors, including Orson Welles, Denzel Washington, Michael Fassbinder, and even director Joel Coen. In 2025, A Noise Within proudly presents MACBETH.

Kamal Bolden, Julanne Chidi Hill, and ensemble – Photo by Craig Schwartz

Set for this production in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late nineteenth/early twentieth century, MACBETH celebrates this time of rich cultural diversity and social exchange. When the tale opens, Macbeth (Kamal Bolden) is a fierce and acclaimed Scottish general, a hero to all. But even before he can claim the rewards of his valor, his path crosses with the three weird sisters (Mildred Marie Langford, Joy DeMichelle, Roshni Shukla), strange and haunting spirits with supernatural powers who seem able to read the future – and predict that Macbeth will become King of Scotland. Once the idea is planted, Macbeth cannot escape the ramifications of their prophecy. As his ambitions burgeon, he is encouraged by his equally ambitious wife, Lady Macbeth (Julanne Chidi Hill), to do whatever it takes to reach their goal – even if that means murder. And so develops the macabre tale of witches, hallucinations, ambition, power, and Shakespeare’s bloodiest couple. This is a gripping psychological and political thriller which follows Macbeth as he slowly transforms from a battlefield hero to a bloody tyrant.

Kamal Bolden and Julanne Chidi Hill – Photo by Craig Schwartz

MACBETH is skillfully directed by Andi Chapman: “Macbeth’s trajectory is forged by the three weird sisters, who can see into his mind…or perhaps he is projecting his mind onto them…we are inside the darkness of his heart, and the three weird sisters reflect that. The Macbeths, a tightly bonded couple, very much co-dependent, are reeling from the loss of a child, leaving them emotionally shattered. The ambition and struggle for power emerge as a confrontation with their grief and a quest to secure his legacy. It is an intensely human story that I hope resonates with us all.”

Ned Mochel, Ben Cain, Randolph Thompson – Photo by Craig Schwartz

Kudos all around to the performers, the director, and the production team. Stephanie Kerley Schwartz’s scenic design is ethereal and yet darkly foreboding, ably enhanced by Nicholas Santiago’s projections, Wendell C. Carmichael’s costumes, Andrew Schmnedake’s lighting, Jeff Gardner’s sound, and composer Dontae Winslow’s original music. This is an exciting and gripping production which will keep the audience’s attention. The fight scenes alone (courtesy of fight choreographer Ned Mochel) are worth the price of admission. And, of course, it’s always a pleasure to hear Shakespeare’s timeless words spoken by talented performers.

Roshni Shukla, Mildred Marie Langford, and Joy DeMichelle – Photo by Craig Schwartz

MACBETH runs through March 9, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays (no Saturday matinee on 2/15; dark Thursday 3/6). A Noise Within is located at 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107. Tickets start at $51.50 (students $20; Pay-What-You-Choose beginning at $10 available online starting the Monday prior to that performance). For information and reservations, call 616-356-3100 or go online.