![]() ![]() ( The Old Vic) In a 1937 production at the same theatre, Laurence Olivier was nearly killed by a sandbag which fell from the rafters to land only inches from where he stood. It was reviewed so badly that the theatre company disbanded shortly after the play. In 1980, a production of Macbeth at The Old Vic starring Peter O’Toole, often referred to as Macdeath, was performed. Not a bit of revenge, you may declare, but she was also heard saying that the curse was “ridiculous.” Shortly before the accident, she was heard complaining about the need to play the scene with her eyes open. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016.)Īccording to records of the 1948 regional theatre production, actress Diana Winyard accidentally walked off the edge of the stage during her sleepwalking scene as Lady Macbeth. At the time, the play being shown was Macbeth. Maria II National Theate r in Lisbon, Portugal. On 2 December 1964 a fire burned down the D. ( Hurwitt, Robert (19 August 2010). “Cal Shakes risks curse of ‘the Scottish play'”. The Astor Place Riot in 1849, injuries sustained by actors at a 1937 performance at The Old Vic that starred Laurence Olivier, Diana Wynyard’s 1948 accidental fall, and burns suffered by Charlton Heston in 1954. The male actor who was to play Lady Macbeth in the very first performance of Macbeth took ill with a fever before ever walking on stage and supposedly died. Wikipedia and other sources (my theatre history books) list a number of such “accidents” regarding the curse of Macbeth: “A realistic portrayal of a ritual occurs in the 1983 film The Dresser, in which Sir is the offender, and Norman, his dresser, officiates over the propitiation.” Some production groups insist that the offender may not re-enter the theatre until invited to do so, therefore making it easy to punish frequent offenders by leaving them outside. ![]() “The rituals include turning three times, spitting over one’s left shoulder, swearing, or reciting a line from another of Shakespeare’s plays. Popular lines for this purpose include, “Angels and ministers of grace defend us” ( Hamlet,1.IV), “If we shadows have offended” ( A Midsummer Night’s Dream 5.ii), and “Fair thoughts and happy hours attend on you” ( The Merchant of Venic e, 3.IV). A more elaborate cleansing ritual involves leaving the theatre, spinning around and brushing oneself off, and saying “Macbeth” three times before entering again. ![]() The rituals are supposed to ward off the evil that uttering the play’s name is feared to bring on. p. 88: “When the name of the play is spoken in a theatre, tradition requires the person who spoke it to leave, perform traditional cleansing rituals and be invited back in. Shakespeare’s Ghost Writers: Literature as Uncanny Causality. Being cursed or double-crossed in the end appears only right, does it not?Īccording to Garber, Marjorie B. (1997). They break the vows of allegiance they owe to any guest in their home, but, most assuredly, to their ruler and king. After all, they kill their king for their own good. Cut backs often meant either the stage was in poor condition or production costs outweighed the theatre’s ability to stage Macbeth, or any play for that matter, properly.Įqually as compelling, but not so practical, is the idea that Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s characters are of the worst sort and should be cursed. ![]() It was not uncommon to discover a theatre company to experience financial woes. In truth, most theatre history buffs place the superstition’s source on the shoulders of what was going on during Shakespeare’s days. Sometimes Mackers or MacB is used to avoid saying the name. Lady Macbeth is often referred to as the Scottish Lady. Superstition says doing so will create some sort of havoc or even a disaster.īecause of this superstition, the lead character is often referred to as the Scottish King or Scottish Lord. Using the word “Macbeth,” other than when it called for in the script is forbidden in many production houses. Instead, it is referred to as the Scottish play (as the setting is in Scotland) or the Bard’s play (referring to Shakespeare’s nickname). In fact, many in the theatre community do not even speak the name of the play. They “upset” the “community,” and so a curse was placed on every performance of the play. As the story goes, looking for authenticity for his play, William Shakespeare researched witches’ spells and curses. ![]()
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