Macbeth

By: William Shakespeare

Narrated by: James Marsters, Joanne Whalley, Josh Cooke, JD Cullum, Dan Donohue, Jeannie Elias, Chuma Gault

Length: 1 hr and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Infamously known as the cursed Scottish play, Macbeth is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy. When General Macbeth is foretold by three witches that he will one day be King of Scotland, Lady Macbeth convinces him to get rid of anyone who could stand in his way - including committing regicide. As Macbeth ascends to the throne through bloody murder, he becomes a tyrant consumed by fear and paranoia.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: James Marsters as Macbeth; Joanne Whalley as Lady Macbeth; Josh Cooke as Banquo and others; J.D. Cullum as Macduff and Second Murderer; Dan Donohue as Ross; Jeannie Elias as Second Witch and others; Chuma Gault as Lennox and Servant; Jon Matthews as Malcolm; Alan Shearman as Angus and others; André Sogliuzzo as Donalbain, Third Witch and others; Kate Steele as Lady Macduff, First Witch and Apparition; Kris Tabori as Duncan and others.

Directed by Martin Jarvis. Sound effects by Tony Palermo. Recorded at the Invisible Studios, West Hollywood, in May 2011.

Public Domain (P)2011 L.A. Theatre Works

Very fun interpretation

I love Macbeth.

I’ve read the play many times and watched many Macbeth films and seen many acts of Macbeth plays. The best interpretations of the work are always done when the actors are all in.

This rendition from the LATC is on. Every performer gives their all, yet, they don’t feel over directed or self conscious that their performance is for anyone but themselves. It’s a great read. The emotion is there, and the sound design is so fun, yet immersive.

I’ll be listening again soon. Boil, boil, toil and trouble…

Classic

Just a great audiobook for the audio library. Most actors were excellent. Entertaining listen for the road or sitting at home.

A good time.

I enjoyed this version, although initially I thought there were some issues. One other commenter mention that it seemed people were just reading the text. I agree with that assessment, but I'll add, some of the minor characters read so quickly it was hard to understand the text. I don't think they actually understood it.

The major roles were nicely done.

Awesome performance!

James Marsters and cast hit it out of the park! Truly excellent. LA Theatre Works never disappoints.

Great live action version

A wonderful adaptation of the Scottish play. It did feel like some lines were rushed at times and could have been slowed for dramatic effect. Overall, a great job by all!

Well played

They did a bang up job with this classic play. If it’s your first time hearing Macbeth, it may be difficult to track the characters through their voices.

The Scottish Tragedy

Played before my very ears with sublime performance is Shakespeare's most talked about play warning of the dangers of overreaching ambition.

Great for a class

The actor occasionally substitute a modern word for an Elizabethan word, but it only lends to the comprehension for my students. The actors make the story come to life, and I highly recommend it for a classroom setting. My only complaint is that it’s volume is low. It’s sometimes hard to hear even at full volume.

All hail this Macbeth!

I felt sad when each character died including Macbeth and Lady M which is a testament to the actors. Macbeth was courageous to the end; a true warrior who got greedy and caused so much chaos that he had to be stopped. This production tells this story believably. It is acted well, the sound is clear and special effects add to the experience. Upon further listenings, the lesser lines of the play rise up to the surface. This is a recording that deserves to be played more than once.

“Confusion now hath made his masterpiece

“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth

I haven't read this since I was in HS. Loved it. Probably my biggest complaint is how slim it is. But, Shakespeare is at the top of his game. Based on an account of the reigns of Duncan and Makbeth in "the Chronicals of Scotland" in Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland, it also spins into myth and alludes a bit to Seneca's tragedies. This is an efficient play. It is a sword, a knife, a razor blade; interesting and tight. And Lady Macbeth is just, well, bloody amazing. It is hard sometimes to map EXACTLY where the magic of Shakespeare happens, but with Macbeth it is fairly easy. Shakespeare is the master at weaving very human characteristics (pride, ambition, duplicity, guilt) with a dark, mythic background filled with ghosts and witches. But add to that Shakespeare's poetry (95% of this play is in verse) and grand-scale characters, and he transports this play from great to fantastic. Some of Shakespeare's most memorable lines and moments come from Macbeth. I still think there are several plays that are better (Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, etc), but there is SOMETHING in this play that hooks me hard. Not necessarily always in a good way. But it grabs me like guilt still.

Some of the best lines:

― “Where shall we three meet again in thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly 's done, when the battle 's lost and won” (Act 1, Scene 1).

― “I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but only
Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself
And falls on the other.” (Act 1, Scene 7)

― “False face must hide what the false heart doth know.” (Act 1, Scene 7)

― “By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.” (Act 4, Scene 1)

― “Life ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.” (Act 5, Scene 5).