Acting

Black-and-white shots of a dilapidated country house, the ominous tones of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13—drama is clearly in the air. In this case, it’s Shakespearean drama.

We’re witnessing a brilliant two-hour-plus masterclass in acting, given by two British veterans: Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod of theatre group Cheek by Jowl. Eight talented young actors are working on scenes from Macbeth. Director Sophie Fiennes follows every detail in direct cinema style, as a proverbial fly on the wall.

We see the clear and calm Donnellan at work as he guides the actors one by one to challenge their abilities and reach new heights. It’s intriguing to see how effective seemingly simple physical and spoken exercises can be, like chopping Shakespeare’s verse into syllables or emphasizing every vowel. The whole is greater than the sum of these parts, and the resulting scenes are compelling and moving. And all the while, the old manor house, stripped down to its bricks, stands strong like a silent character in the play.