of Shakespeare and Scotland

Have you ever been to a theater-in-the-round?  If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s a theater designed so that the audience sits 360 degrees around the stage located in the center of the room.  Most plays at such theaters have a greater sense of intimacy than those at traditional stage theaters as the audience is usually smaller in number and the props and staging are less technical or are often nonexistent.  If you enjoy going to plays, I highly recommend trying a theater-in-the-round!

But what I really recommend is going to a theater-in-the-round that is located not inside a building, but outside under the open sky, and if there happens to be one nearby, on the grounds of a castle nearly one thousand years old.  Totally doable!  The seats are replaced with grass green and thick, the stage is made of immovable stones older than America herself, the lights are naturally dimmed by the setting of the sun, and at points the events detailed in the script are imagined to take place on that exact historic stage on which your eyes are cast.  The performance arts don’t get any more romantic than this, friends. 

Some friends and I had the privilege of enjoying the performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth this weekend at the historic St. Andrews Castle – or what’s left of it.  The castle is literally located one block behind my room.  Lucky me!  Originally built nearly one thousand years ago, the castle was the center of major battles during the Wars of Independence (1296-1357) between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England (think William Wallace), which left it in complete disrepair.  Having gained their independence, Scotland rebuilt the castle but only maintained its magnificence for a few hundred years, ultimately leaving it to fall to its ruin after the country turned from its Catholic heritage.  During those few years of glory, however, the castle housed Scottish kings, Catholic bishops and archbishops, and dignitaries from all over Europe on their journeys. 

But it still has its uses… like serving as a theater-in-the-round (even though the stage and seats are reversed)!

We were serenated pre-performance by a piper on the top deck. 

  Below is Lady Macbeth before she goes mad.

Below is Lady Macbeth and her husband, both completely stricken with post-murder madness. 

You’ll notice the hats and hoods in the pictures, but what you don’t see are the sleeping bags, blankets, layers upon layers, flasks filled with warming powers, umbrellas (just in case), gloves, and warm bodies snuggled together.  The play began at dusk and ended under the umbrella of darkness and twinkling stars.  It was a bit chilly, but worth every moment! 

One element I was unaware of until after the play was that Macduff, the man who ultimately murders Macbeth in the end was what was called a “Thane of Fife,” which meant that there was a good chance he lived in one of the few castles in Fife (Fife is equivalent to a state in the US – so I live in St. Andrews, Fife), namely St. Andrews Castle! 

What is really interesting is that there is a scene in the play where Macbeth orders Macduff’s wife and children to be murdered while he is away in England.  If it did happen that Macduff and his family lived in St. Andrews Castle, then the scene written into the play that we saw acted last night would have been imagined to happen on these very grounds!

And for your viewing pleasure, here’s a clip of the final scene – the fight between Macduff and Macbeth.  It’s an incredibly cheesy fight scene! 

I do love this quirky town.  So when are you going to come enjoy it with me?