mhk11 Though Nicol Williamson performs outstandingly in the final scene, his overall performance is extremely uneven. At times he delivers his lines with brio or with subtle astuteness, but often he comes across as disengaged and bored. He too frequently resorts to snarling or to expressionless recitation, and only occasionally does he convincingly convey the tortured psyche of Macbeth. His delivery of the great "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquy is the worst rendition that I have ever beheld. On the whole, his performance drags down this production.Jane Lapotaire is excellent in her opening scene and in her final scene, but less impressive in the intervening scenes (especially in the scene with Banquo's ghost). She pretty badly misjudges a few of her lines. Still, if her overall performance had been matched by Williamson's performance, this production would have been better than it is.Tony Doyle is generally excellent as Macduff, and James Hazeldine is quite good in the difficult role of Malcolm. James Bolam is considerably less entertaining as the porter in this production than as Touchstone in "As You Like It" (though the fault may lie with Shakespeare more than with the actor).Most of the other performances are pretty good, though there are quite a few other instances of misjudged renderings of lines. The sets and lighting are fine, and the production is to be commended for omitting very little of the text (apart from the spurious III.v and the spurious bits of IV.i). In short, this production is certainly worth watching but is disappointingly short of what it could and should have been.

Syl I actually prefer Nicol Williamson's Macbeth to Sir Ian McKellen. He is far more believable in the role. I believe Williamson to be one of the better Shakespearean actors. Even Jane Lapotaire's Lady Macbeth is better than Dame Judi Dench's performance. Perhaps Dench and McKellen just lacked the physical chemistry Williamson and Lapotaire appear more likable to me. I believe them more as a couple. While I enjoy all the actors mentioned above, this version is more than just a stage version. There is no audience. The costumes and art direction could be better overall. Still the BBC kept true to William Shakespeare's words. This version could do well in high school classrooms since this play is part of the curriculum. I prefer this version overall to the recorded Stratford version. If I had to choose between this version and Roman Polanski's film for the classroom viewing experience, I would take this version because it is more faithful overall.

Calibanhagseed This is an entertaining rendition of Bill's dark and moody play.Shakespeare's play about the rise to power and overthrow of Macbeth is not something to be made even more heavy by too mush subtext. Let's leave that for the Scholars who tear apart Shaky Bill's works with over zealous need to analyze this plays.MacBeth is not a hero, he's a villain, plain and simple. A villain plagued by his guilty conscience that deprives his of his wholesome sleep and eventually his mind and enjoyment of life. He resorts to very masculine measures to assure his usurped throne and retain some dregs of life. Violence, plotting and eventually black magic. He is torn between wavering guilt and dynamic force to change his wretched state. In the end he sub-comes to a monomaniacal assurance of his own power and to a fatalist view of life. (MacBeth is not a profound character study like Hamlet, and any such "in depth" speculating only takes away from the performance) These two things tear him asunder. What makes him so appealing and tragic is his manly defiance and power.Nicol Williamson portrayal of Macbeth incorporates all these things, most of all Williamson captures MacBeth's masculine force. People might argue that his acting is reminiscent of a 19th vaudeville villain, So what! (So it isn't as inventive and ceremonial as Ian Mckellen's excellent McBeth.) I loved the way Williamson ranted and sneered and his theatrical gesticulations that bordered on over-acting, but it takes a great actor to play a ham enjoyable and Williamson acting was excellent and enjoyable. (Many things seemed heat of the moment,which I like)The Rest of the cast was adequate, though Ian Hogg's Banquo used what I call the "Shakespeare finger" a bit to much an some of his acting was strained. Tony Doyle as MacDuff too, his acting lacked in any real enjoyable dramatics, I did not find his lamentations concerning his murdered family moving. The gatekeeper wasn't funny at all(well, not that Shakespeare's humor is funny, frankly I find it dull) If you want a good solid "comic" performance of the gatekeeper watch Ian McDiarmed in the Trevor Nunn directed version.As for Lady McBeth. I found Jane Lapotaire's interpretation strange, yet not bad. I agree there are discrepancies between Shakespeare's meaning and her performance, but She was incredibly seductive as Lady MacBeth. Which made her inducement to MacBeth to murder Duncan a great sensual piece of acting. (Who can say no to a bad girl, right.) Though her madness in the end lacked some of the dignity and power of Judy Dench's version of the role.This version of MacBeth is not a simply a good version you can enjoy intellectually by yourself, but one that can be enjoyed with your friends drinking beer 'n booze, eating pizza, due to it's "go-for-the-guts" virility. It'll have you cheering on MacBeth as he murders, plots and rages. In fact this movie is a great instructional video how to be a real man, in an age where metro-sexuality castrated most men."...Give to th' edge o' th' sword His wife, his babes and all those unfortunate souls that trace him in his line." Heck, yeah!!!!

didi-5 Jane Lapotaire is a superb Lady Macbeth, as those who've seen her on stage would expect. Although the jury is often out on Nicol Williamson's acting in anything, I think he is brilliant in this - particularly in the banquet scene where Banquo's ghost returns. I'd probably bracket him with Ian McKellen when it comes to TV movie portrayals of what is essentially the portrait of a usurper gone mad.It has to be said though that the towering presence of these two actors somewhat overshadow the others in the cast. Special mention must go to Ian Hogg as Banquo, and the late Tony Doyle as Macduff, however, as they are both excellent.Jack Gold's production looks done either on the cheap, or in a minimalist way (or both!) but that would be my only quibble. This is my favourite of the BBC Shakespeares. Let's hope the whole series of them will be made available on video or DVD widely in the UK again soon.