Comic contributes new scene to RSC's Macbeth

Stewart Lee is rewriting Shakespeare, after branding one of the Bard's scenes as 'rubbish'.

The comedian is to create a new version of the Porter scene in Macbeth, usually seen as a glimmer of light relief in the bloody tragedy - and believed to be the first use of the 'Knock, knock! Who's there?' construction that spawned so many jokes.

His scene will be in a new production opening at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Stratford-upon-Avon home from next month, directed by Wils Wilson and with Scottish actress Alison Peebles in the Porter's role.

 Lee said: 'I am delighted to have been asked by Wils Wilson to rewrite the rubbish Porter scene from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which is in dire need of a post-alternative comedy makeover.  Alison Peebles is an inspired piece of casting sure to bring the requisite level of attack.'

And joking about his reputation for loquacity, he added: ' At the moment the scene is two hours long but hopefully will expand in rehearsal.'

The scene involves the hungover porter of Macbeth's castle complaining that the job is worse than that of the porter in hell
Cliffs Notes' description of the scene as 'a private game with the audience' in which the character, traditionally male, 'engages in a piece of stand-up comedy in which he imagines himself as that beleaguered servant, opening and closing the gate on the damned'.

The routine makes reference to what would have been topical stories of the day, including the trial of the Gunpowder plotters, lost on modern audiences.

Wilson said of her decision to have Lee rewrite the scene: 'It felt incredibly important that the scene should be dark and funny, satirical and edgy, as it would have been originally. 

'I really think comedy connects us directly, it gets through our defences and cuts through everything to the heart. I wanted to recapture the spirit and function of the original scene, to give the audience the same kind of experience that they would have had in 1606 - to find themselves suddenly laughing, to find themselves personally involved and implicated in a completely different and very direct way with the core ideas of the play - guilt, hypocrisy, greed.

'The Porter is dark, funny, edgy, political, clever, a truth teller - Stewart is all of these things, straight away I knew I wanted to ask him to write it. 
'He’s a brilliant comic writer, absolutely rigorous in pursuit of the right line or word or rhythm. It’s been such a pleasure to work with him on it. Stewart also has a really deep understanding of how comedy works, and the way he pushes and pulls the relationship with the audience, playing with different levels of reality, it's a perfect fit.
'The Porter scene is a strange meta moment in Macbeth and I knew Stewart would enjoy playing with that. There’s a very creative level of discomfort about Stewart’s writing, which is perfect for this moment.'

In an article about his commission in The Observer this weekend, Lee recalls Wilson telling him: 'The scene is a complete one-off – unlike anything else in Shakespeare. Some say it’s the invention of stand-up, though I am sure that’s not true.

'The material is dark, satirical, current, political, risky, dealing with hypocrisy, lies, morality, sex, drunkenness – all the good stuff. And the Porter breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience. No one else does that in the play except Macbeth.'

He said his version was inspired by firebrand Scottish comics such as  Jerry Sadowitz, Lynn Ferguson,  Janey Godley and Jane Mackay, adding: 'In homage to these voices, I swapped out the corrupt tailors and judiciaries of the original for the damned-to-hell celebrities, politicians and grifters of today. And I got in two covert lines of Lenny Bruce’s, a private joke for myself.'

And he said the second half of the scene, 'when the Porter engages in a torturous riff on impotence with Lennox and Macduff is like a music hall "front curtain" act, performed while the scene behind resets. Are we waiting for Macbeth to wash off Duncan’s blood?'

Lee will see his words performed in rehearsal on Friday, but added: 'Replaying the Porter scene not as a stifled Shakespearean set piece, but as actual live comedy, means it will only exhale when it meets an audience. And then, in the days before press night, it will require the same rapid reassembly actual comedians routinely apply.'

The production, which features Reuben Joseph and Valene Kane as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth respectively, runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Saturday August 19 to Saturday October 14, with press night on August 30. Tickets

Here is the Porter scene as performed by Ian McDiarmid: 

Published: 9 Jul 2023