Last week I had the pleasure of seeing my daughter Lara Macgregor perform in a play which was especially written for her and co-actor Mark Hadlow, by Gregory Cooper, writer and director. The play debuted at the Professional Theatre Company, which Mark Hadlow recently formed in Nelson – a brave and brilliant move given the current unstable nature of the performing arts industry in New Zealand. I was pleased that Mark brought the play to the Sky City Theatre Auckland soon after its debut giving many more New Zealanders the opportunity to see it.

The play takes place in a dressing room, right before the actors are due to go on stage. The long-married Macbeths are about to perform Macbeth. Jo Macbeth is more than ready, her husband Tom, is anything but. He has lost his mojo, and is now mere understudy to reality TV star Ian (pronounced Iron). When Iron unexpectedly cannot perform, Tom Macbeth is forced to take over the role – albeit with a few whiskies under his belt and an inability to remember his lines.

If this isn’t enough to deal with, when Tom and Jo learn Taika Waititi is in the audience touting for actors to work in his Amazon version of Macbeth, the action becomes manic and very funny. Except, long-married Tom and Jo Macbeth are on the verge of a break-up. This is where the audience sees the mastery of the playwright, who knows Shakespeare’s Macbeth as well as he knows Macgregor and Hadlow, who are well-versed in playing stage couples. They were Lady and Macbeth in the real Macbeth, and an outraged couple in God of Carnage, both performed at the Court Theatre, Christchurch; wonderful examples of vigorous, energetic, emotion-filled, and magic theatre. Macgregor and Hadlow are equally magnificent in Cooper’s Mr & Mrs Macbeth, displaying the full range of emotions that this play demands. They are dynamic, fierce, and great fun. The costumes too are superb and perfect for swirling during the sword fighting!

It is this dynamism Gregory Cooper has captured in the clever handling of his script that presents the conflict between a couple whose relationship appears doomed. Yet, through the use of music and subtle choreography, the audience is left by the end with a sense that the relationship just might survive.

The same might not be said of contemporary New Zealand theatre however. For although this was a bristling, witty play containing all the best elements one loves to see on stage, the theatre seats were not full. The company decided to close the play in Auckland sooner than planned. Sadly, such a scenario in not rare for the performing arts, here or overseas. So, although I was thrilled to be part of the audience to a seriously good play, I was left with a sense of concern about the future of theatre. I would urge anyone who cares about the performing arts to please do what they can to support them. Be brave. Go buy a ticket! There is NOTHING that beats a live performance.

The production team: Set Design – Mark Macintyre; Lighting Design – Sean Hawkins; Costumes Design – Pauline Farley; Music Composition and Sound – Bob Bickerton; Choreographer – Natalia Harrington; Props Coordinator/Stage Manager Rehearsals – Aisha Cumming; Stage Manager/Marketing and Publicity – Mark Betty; Lighting and Sound Operator – Nick Davidson; Production Manager – Steve Thomas; Wardrobe Assistants – Rae Thomas, Georgina Stephens and Linda Hansen: Set Construction – Jason Stewart Builders and ET Engineering; Photographer – Martin de Ruyter.

Thanks Mark, Lara, Gregory and The Professional Theatre Company for a wonderful night. I wish you all the best for the future.