MACBETH //
Written by: William Shakespeare
Adapted and directed by: Lilach Dekel-Avneri
A kingdom heaving with desire and fear, its people torn between loyalty to themselves, their loved ones and their king, while fate hovers above with a sneer on his face and one couple breaks all the rules.
In this original adaptation of Shakespearean tragedy, the text is shortened, the number of characters reduced and the tragic bond between Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and Banquo accentuated.
Credits:
Translator: Meir Wieseltier
Music: Karni Postel & Asaf Amdurski
Stage and Lighting designer: Iris Mualem
Costume and Props designer: Inbal Lieblich
Video: Eitan Buganim.
Actors: Iftach jeffrey Ophir, Iris Erez, Avraham Horviz, Karni Postel, Sharon Fridman, Lani Shahaff.
Produced by: Tmuna Theater.
photography: Gadi Dagon
From the critics:
"Macbeth is the latest of the three experimental Shakespeare productions staged at the Tmuna theater this year, and, in my opinion, also the best. The director (who is also responsible for the adaptation), Lilach Dekel-Avneri, has created a concise and shortened version of the well known play, replete with alienated atmosphere and post-modernistic stage design (designer: Iris Mualem), but, surprisingly, this is not achieved at the expense of the depth of the human drama. The Shakespearian text is still the center of the play. The actors must be able to speak this poetic text, and Dekel-Avneri has succeeded in crystallizing a small and excellent team that is up to it. Avraham Horviz creates an interesting character based on the gate-keeper's character, and Karni Postel builds a dark and appealing presence as the representative of the witches. Lanny Shachaf-Banai recruits the rough and harsh side of her personality for the story-teller’s character, which unifies several secondary characters. Sharon Fridman, as Banquo, delivers an extremely precise performance. Iris Erez brings to the character of Lady Macbeth bright shades of sexuality and belligerence alongside weakness and fragility when necessary. Her excellent body work does not detract from her sensitive and clear delivery of the text. At her side stands Yiftach Ofir who builds a complex and fascinating character, moving intelligently on Macbeth's self destructive track from the dilemmas before the first murder to the existential fatigue of the mass murderer. His powerful performance is the culmination of an impressive production, which may irritate some conservative viewers, but brings great honor to a fringe theater such as Tmuna, which is able to put on such a stimulating and high quality drama." (Yedi'ot Aharonot)
"Tmuna theater, the best of our fringe theaters, is staging a new and extraordinary production of Shakespeare's bloody tragedy – Macbeth. The evil and thirst for the throne get a different nuance here with Karni Postel's singing-acting performance as the three witches, the dance of the dancer Iris Erez who refines Lady Macbeth's monstrosity, Sharon Fridman who does a noble Banquo, less monstrous and more sophisticated than usual, and the most impressive of all – Yiftach Ofir whose Macbeth is the most human of all those before him… An excellent show, which despite the minimalism of its design as well as the chopping off of a number of characters, demonstrates how one can be minimalistic and yet extremely expressive". (Tzfon Hair)
"Tmuna theater's Shakepearian season is concluded now with an ambitious production of "Macbeth" adapted and directed by Lilach Dekel-Avneri, who again assembles an original gallery of actors and designers to realize her artistic vision… one cannot but appreciate. Dekel-Avneri's inventive ability and the great talent of her production partners. The result is very powerful theater… the stage, situated in Tmuna theater's parking shed, includes five separate sort-of running tracks, a dense cluster of tiny flowerpots and one ingenious element – a gigantic disc portraying the witches’ lake, the moon, the circle of time and the wheel of fortune… Iris Erez, usually a dancer, exhibits a fascinating theatrical personality as Lady Macbeth, incorporating perfect body control with a very impressive capability to deliver the texts, and charismatic Yiftah Ofir, as Macbeth, indulges in his wonderful lines: it certainly seems he would rather be here, in Tmuna's garage, than on the stage of "Tuvya Haholev" in "Hakameri" theater."(Achbar Ha'ir)
"An innovative and complex production of the classic tragedy in Tmuna theater exposes a magnificent young actor as the unwilling murderer . This multilayered production presents a challenge to the audience… Its sole test is the execution and not strict adherence to the original text, but rather in using it as a springboard to something new relating in its own language and theatrical ideas to that which is known in advance. This is what makes theater a living and sometimes also biting creature... The breadth of this paper is too short to describe the abundance of visual and textual ideas used by Lilach Dekel-Avneri. Her production translates the play into a tight script which scrutinizes the progression of evil and she does not hesitate to transform the couple into very contemporary creatures by their lust… an excellent team is part of the play process: Lanny Shachaf-banai is the powerful story-teller who creates lively and delicate secondary characters, the omnipresent Avraham Horwiz with his observing modesty and his wonderful acting transforms the gate-keeper's monologue into a thrilling dramatic expression of the whole Shakespearian tragedy, Sharon Fridman embodies well the character of Banquo as a clever, exuberant, and ambitious friend-opponent. Karni Postel is impressive as a cold and threatening witch, enigmatic and curious in her musical voice. Iris Erez, who comes from the field of dance, surprises in her sensitive portrayal of the many faces of Lady Macbeth. First and foremost of them all is young Yiftach Ofir who delivers amazing acting as Macbeth. He is very masculine and as sharp as a cutting diamond and at the same time fragile and collapsing… He is bright and exact, he quivers, he is cold, horrifying and develops a breath-taking process of deterioration… In conclusion I am certain that whoever dares to withstand the challenge of this show, will not remain indifferent". (Habama)
"It happened and we saw a good show. We saw a good show at the Tmuna theater. This time we left excited. This is the kind of pearl which makes persistence worth while. Even if that means swallowing a frog or two in order to kiss a prince and in this case a king – Macbeth… Director Lilach Dekel-Avneri studied the play well. She studied well its many layers and chose to relate to most of them. The result is both complex and charged. Her Macbeth is Shakespeare, and it is Tel Aviv and a charismatic actor who carries Macbeth's character well and displays a wide range of emotional states. The lady is portrayed with remarkable talent by Iris Erez, as if she were born with the determination, the misery, and the madness… The subsidiary actors in the production form an excellent support system that enables this tragedy to be woven into a mass that sticks in your throat and refuses to leave" (Neviim Acharonim)
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