Pi Theatre’s 2021 Provocateurs Presentation Series is underway, bringing creative, provocative performances to your screens. If you didn’t catch the livestream of Macbeth Muet on Thursday, February 18th, join in on Friday, February 19th at 7pm.
Macbeth Muet (meaning silent, in French) is quite literally a mess…but what a creative one! Montreal’s La Fille du Laitier adapts Shakespeare’s famed tragedy into lightening-paced, work that’s covered in fake blood and cracked eggs. Told by just two players, Clara Prévost and Jérémie Francoeur, with a cornucopia of props, sounds, lighting and body movements to fill in the huge cast of the Scottish play.
The fast-pace and creative prop stand-ins for characters really keeps the viewer on their toes to remember the play’s storyline and cast of characters. This is definitely not suggested for a first introduction to Shakespeare but if you know what’s going on the performance is uniquely entertaining. The witches are represented by origami paper fortune tellers, as they foretell what fate has in store for the General. A hockey glove is a major antagonist, bloody (ketchup) wars break out, heartbreak cracks the shells of the families, and alas it is a tragedy.
Clara Prévost and Jérémie Francoeur keep the chaos craftily choreographed, getting down and dirty with the work and each other. The 2500 line play is reduced to just about an hour as the duo and their accompanying props tear through the show like a Coles Notes version. Never giving time for the audience to lose interest for fear of missing out, Macbeth Muet is a sight to behold.
If you missed last night’s performance there is one more showing of Macbeth Muet in Pi Theatre’s Provocateurs Presentation Series Friday February 19th, tickets start at $15 and are available online at pitheatre.com.