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Macbeth cover art

Macbeth

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

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What listeners say about Macbeth

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Yanks lack the passion of performance.

Had I known this was an American performance of MacBeth. I wouldn't have purchased it. It just didn't sound great. And the cast lacked the passion needed for the Scottish play. Very disappointed. Stick to English if not Scottish versions.

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17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great for revision !!

I'm reading this as a GCSE student, and it really helped me for the exam 👍🏾

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

argh American accents!!

I'm pretty sure Macbeth wasn't an American. not a great version unfortunately. it is a strange story too though

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Grr.

American voices performing Shakespeare always jar on me and this performance was no exception. Deleted

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great

great play. great interpretation. I do recommend it to everyone. do not skip this book.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good rattle through the Scottish Play

There are some who have complained that Shakespeare is not authentic if it is done with American actors. Ironically, the language spoken in Elizabethan times is closer to North American dialogue than it is to the Queen's English today so this should add to rather than take away from the listener experience.

This recording from LA Theatre works stars American actor James Marsters (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as the eponymous Thane of Cawdor and English rose Joanne Whalley (Dance with a Stranger) as her ladyship. The recording has high production standards and atmospheric sound effects throughout. The opening act is a little too fact for my liking, I had to check that I had the playback on the right speed and not 1.25x by mistake but it wasn't, it was just read incredibly quickly. The whole thing settles down from there into a more sensible iambic pentameter rhythm and the main scenes are done well.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a bit too fast-paced

The Shakespearian dialogue is a bit hard to catch at the pace of this recording.

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3 people found this helpful

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Knock, knock, knock! Who's there?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It's pretty good.

What other book might you compare Macbeth to, and why?

Other books by Shakespeare, because he wrote them also.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Mouthwords.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It's a good psychological horror, with allot of atmosphere. It
brings forth feelings of excitement, and provokes thought.

Any additional comments?

Knock,
knock, knock! Who's there? Faith, here's an
English tailor come hither, for stealing out of
a French hose: come in, tailor; here you may
roast your goose.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Compelling performance from James Marsters

But the accents were all over the shop. Never heard Americans do Shakespeare before. It was odd, some attempted English accents (no one did well at maintaining them, they kept slipping) others were just various American, and a bit ridiculous with it. No one bothered to try Scottish.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Highly recomend this performance of the play. Clear narration and with good emotional response backing delivery of the lines.

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