Centred on the themes of regicide, betrayal and tyranny, Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies. In contrast, Rajat Kapoor’s satirical adaptation adds a layer of slapstick comedy to the sombre classic. While in the original, Shakespeare uses the opening scene to set the eerie tone of the play with three mysterious witches, Kapoor’s version replaces them with two neat, white-faced clowns, Julio and Pedro, who invite the audience into the absurd world of Macky B and his Lady through the device of a play within a play. The two comic characters, who present themselves as the producers of the metaplay, deftly weave the parallel narratives into a compelling tale of ambition, guilt and moral decay, complete with wit and humour. Despite the tonal shift in Kapoor’s reimagining, Macbeth: What’s Done Is Done, the protagonists’ psychological unravelling remains firmly at the heart of the story. Macky B’s fall from grace begins when he and his friend Banquo encounter the three witches, referred to as the ‘weird sisters’, in the forest. Their prophecies plant the seed of ambition in his mind, luring him towards his tragic fate. Ranvir Shorey is compelling as the once-loyal servant of the king of Scotland, charting Macky B’s transformation from a nobleman consumed by greed and guilt into a ruthless, immoral usurper. Throughout the play, the witches lurk like dark thoughts and unconscious temptations to evil, driving the narrative of enigmatic prophecies, brutal murders and spiralling madness. They foretell that Macky B will become the Thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland, while Banquo’s descendants will inherit the throne, setting in motion a bloody chain of ambition, paranoia and destruction. After Banquo’s murder, the witches lure Macky B into a false sense of invincibility with cryptic prophecies. Blinded by overconfidence, he unleashes a ruthless wave of violence until the prophecies turn against him, leading to his downfall.
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