The boardroom proved a bold and equally bloody way to shake up old Macbeth in Entita Theatre’s adaptation of Fall to the Top. Making the stark raving mad warrior into a suit could have made for a very dry affair in the hands of a company who couldn’t make it work, but Entita can.
The Kent University theatre group are clearly a very committed bunch of young thespians who wanted to have complete command of this script. They do so by taking their passion for physical theatre and working it into the tale, almost effortlessly. The result is a clever performance with an astonishing amount of energy that makes Shakespearian physical theatre both accessible and enjoyable - which frankly, is no mean feat.
Entita Theatre want to get physical so rehearsal time must be devoted to devising their pieces, as opposed to drawing out their character portraiture. The acting is rough around the edges in comparison with the polished physical performance. Lady Macbeth appeared a little feeble in the presence of the almighty talent of Macbeth. This young actor took the old King by the horns and strangled him in an M&S tie until he submitted, which he did; he had taken the role for his own by the end. A special mention must also go to the Three Witches who took the form of tittle tattling cleaners armed with yellow cloths, cleaning fluids and acid tongues.
It is also important to note the absolute professionalism of a company who turned a power cut into something which created sparks all of its own. After an impromptu blackout, the performance was moved outside. This could have made a performance which relies on creating clean, physical shapes all a bit messy. Instead, the suits power walked to the grass with fighting spirit and, despite only having a stained glass window for a backdrop and some bunting catching the breeze, demanded that you bring your attention back to the boardroom. The inevitable grass stains that followed on crisply ironed, white shirts seemed to give a little nod to what Shakespeare would have wanted. Entita surpassed expectation there and then.
Entita Theatre tell you not to expect a normal day at the office but what you certainly shouldn’t expect, is a normal afternoon at the theatre. This is one student theatre group who are worth your time and indeed, your money; a company that are far from falling.
