So great are the superstitions surrounding it, it’s even considered bad luck to mention the name of the play – a risk that this publication has already taken by putting it in the title of the article and won’t be taking again for the rest of it. This June sees the play being brought to life once again right here in Melbourne at the Southbank Theatre; and will see actor Dan Spielman (known for his roles in The Code and The Secret Life of Us) in the role of Macduff.
“I was overseas for a few years, so when I came back I immediately got back in touch with everyone that I hadn’t seen for years – including the MTC,” Spielman begins. “I found out that Simon [Phillips] was directing this play, and I got in touch to see if there was a place for me on the cast. I’d previously played the lead in the play for Bell [Shakespeare Company] about five years ago, so I knew the play well. When he came back and offered me the role of Macduff, I was thrilled. It’s very exciting and very interesting to be performing in the same play from the very opposite side of the spectrum.”
The titular role is taken by modern-day Terminator star Jai Courtney, with his wife being played by Geraldine Hakewill. It marks Spielman’s third Shakespearian production; and it’s one that he’s particularly excited about – especially considering the mix of both old and new faces that are present within the ensemble. “There’s a lot of first encounters for me within this cast,” Spielman says. “I know a lot of them from around the traps, but there’s a lot of people that I’ve never had the chance to work with. By contrast, there’s also people like Robert [Menzies]. He and I have worked a lot together – we’ve been friends and colleagues for some 20 years now. I haven’t worked with Simon in 16 years. He’s an extraordinary director of language – he has a near-photographic memory, and can cue anyone who’s forgotten their line or gotten a word wrong without looking at the text. Having that precision there helps move everything forward. He’s also very funny. The rehearshal room is always very fun.”
Lord Macduff is one of the more intriguing figures within the play, who ends up playing quite a significant role in the final throes. His status as a potential hero of the story is ambiguous, and one that has garnered much discussion and analysis through the years. As for the way Spielman himself perceives the character? It’s still a developing thing. This may not be his first time performing in the play itself, but doing it as a different character to last time may as well render the entire play a completely new one. “You can only one take one path through material like this – and that’s from your own perspective in relation to the characters that you’re playing,” he says.
“The more you do it, the more you’re concentrating on what you do and refining it – especially in performance. I was full of admiration for Ivan [Donato]’s performance as Macduff when we did the play for Bell, but I had no idea how he did it. This role is completely different to the lead – it’s a great eye-opener to consider linking the things that Macduff does and says. People will talk about how he’s the antithesis to the lead. I don’t see it so much that way. I look more at the flaws of the character – he leaves his family behind in the darkest hour, he’s impulsive, he sometimes acts before he thinks. By the same token, he also becomes the great weapon that the English use. There’s a lot of depth to the humanity of Macduff. He has to rise up through these experiences and this grief to meet up to the monstrosities surrounding him – it’s a very challenging role.
