Last week, UCD’s DramSoc brought their annual Shakespeare production to Astra Hall, this year presenting the superstition-riddled tragedy, Macbeth, to their audiences. Through strong acting performances, a show-defining musical underscore and tension heightened by tech, DramSoc have once again shown that dramatic talent is ever-present in UCD.
Ed O’Leary took on the intense and deeply challenging role of the titular character, Macbeth. O’Leary’s talent shone through particularly in moments of passion and anger, almost frightening the audience when his character was arguing with his wife. His anger was matched by his heartfelt performance of Macbeth’s emotional turmoil, leaving the audience feeling almost sympathetic for him. His near-constant presence on stage required an effort that deserved every bit of applause it received.
Lia Mullan was a stand out performer in the show, playing the role of Lady Macbeth. She commanded the stage with her demanding tone while also providing a few more comedic moments, leaving the crowd in laughter. Her character’s progression throughout the show saw moments of intense emotion, unchecked ambition and great manipulation - all perfectly performed by Mullan.
Ash McGlynn was another actor whose performance deserves top praise. The role of Banquo is a tragic one and requires a complexity that McGlynn pulled off with ease. The death of Banquo was met with genuine shock by the audience, while the banquet scene was one of the production’s strongest moments, with McGlynn terrifying the audience in a performance that looked more suited to the Nightmare Realm than Astra Hall. A fantastic performance by a clearly talented actor.
Gráinne Mulkeen-Casey played the role of Macduff with moral clarity and passion. Acting as a foil to Macbeth’s corruption, the character drew sympathy from the audience and gave them a bit of hope in the clearly dark world of Macbeth. Mulkeen-Casey was a perfect choice for this protagonist, portraying the character excellently.
Oliver Adamini and Sam Cooke also showed clear talent in their performances. The start of the show was dominated by Cooke’s performance as Duncan, taking control of the stage and playing the part with the perfect level of confidence and swagger. In the role of Malcolm, Adamini magically showed off a huge range of emotion from genuine sadness at the death of his father to immense pride at the show’s conclusion. These two actors were excellently cast in their roles and were amongst the most believable performances on stage.
One of the strongest parts of this production was undoubtedly the cackling menace of the three witches played by Kim Woolfson, Síomha Magee and Elisa Carr. From the very beginning of the show to the final bows, the three witches were extraordinary in their physical acting and haunting tales. All three of these actors grabbed the attention of the whole audience and were one of the key takeaways from the production.
The rest of the cast were very strong and gave key moments to the show. Mya Doyle as both Lady Macduff and Donalbain was very strong while Mars Dasher put on an excellent performance as Ross. Ben Lynch, Marcus Geraghty, Laidaín McGarry and Ethan Moriarty were each stellar members of the production, playing crucial smaller characters with the same passion and skill as those playing the leading roles. Sean Brennan McLoughlin as the porter was in fact one of the audience’s favourite moments, providing a hilarious and masterful performance with top class physical acting and a perfect comedic timing.
Directed by Harry Eaves and Michael Corbett, this production told a complicated story with clarity, passion and skill. It was clear to the audience that the minds behind the direction were experts in this show, with the difficult task of putting on a Shakespeare show being done to a very high quality.
Produced by Evie Paul and Maria Cristina Coco, the show transformed Astra Hall into 11th century Scotland. With the assistance of a large crew, the stage was decorated simply yet effectively, costumes gave clear indication of the period and the social class of characters, and props were effective and wide ranging - from the all important knives and swords to the incredibly impressive set piece of the witches’ cauldron. Credit must also go to the team behind the lights, which on more than one occasion transformed the show including when creating a fight scene worthy of a professional stage.
My final praise, and perhaps largest praise, must go to Lucy Sky Dunne who took this show from a performance in UCD’s Astra Hall to a journey that the audience were following along. Sitting at the stage piano from start to finish, her underscoring of the show had a great impact by setting the tone for each scene and immersing the audience fully in the show.
DramSoc’s Macbeth was a fantastic display of talent and Shakespearean knowledge from a strong team of UCD students. A five star performance left the audience thoroughly entertained. Congratulations to all involved.