By Anne Brodie
Writer/director Keith Boynton’s film The Scottish Play is bold to say the least. A New England small town theatre troupe is about to stage William Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy Macbeth. It will be set in prohibition era Chicago and carry themes of sexual paralysis and be faithful to the original. However, all that’s swept aside when they decide to rewrite the whole thing. The masterpiece. And so, their troubles begin. Big ego star Hugh (Geraint Wyn Davies) is excited by its fresh take as is his Lady Macbeth Sydney (Tina Benko) but some cast members have doubts. The Play is cursed, every actor knows that and fiddling around with it could make things worse. Sure enough, a concrete boulder falls through the roof onto the stage just feet from the actors. A hooded figure appears in the theatre, and Sydney realises it’s Shakespeare’s ghost; they develop a supernatural friendship . He visits her at night at her B&B (but never marvels at electricity) and she asks why he speaks in iambic pentameter, as no one in Elizabethan society did. He will “ghost” write it with her. And of course they have a ghostly affair. Play’s written, rehearsed and ready to go but will the theatregoers accept Shakespeare’s ghost’s rewrite ? Its opening night, -will the audience accept it or revolt? Fun little oddity, well written and produced; you have to admire it for taking such a literary risk. Also stars Peter Mark Kendall, Willie C. Carpenter, Will Brill, and Ali Ahn star. Available now on TVOD.