In director and writer Keith Boynton's The Scottish Play, Sydney (Tina Benko) decides to escape the big world of Hollywood by heading to New England and acting in a Shakespeare festival. She likes her leading man Hugh (Geraint Wyn Davies) and gets along with the director Adam (Peter Mark Kendall). And then she meets William Shakespeare himself (Will Brill), who reveals to her that the curse of Macbeth is all the fault of his ghost, as he was never happy with what he wrote. He'll leave her production alone if she's open to some rewrites, however.
If you told me that this would be a movie that I'd find fun, funny and charming before I saw it, I'd have called you a fool. But after watching it -- actually I wouldn't be that rude, but I wouldn't expect to like this -- I really fell for it. It's a cute little concept, told well by a good cast and an interesting script.
I like the idea that someone from the outside -- not knowing that the bard himself was writing the new version -- would be upset that someone was messing with Macbeth. That's the conflict that drives this film, as well as gives an actress the chance to meet the playwrite that inspired so many stories of his own.
Plot summary
A successful actress accepts the role of Lady Macbeth at a small New England theater, where she begins a flirtation with her charmingly awkward young director, and finds herself haunted by the ghost of William Shakespeare - who's keen to do some rewrites.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 14, 2021 at 01:50 PM
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Fun!!!
Why oh why!
The Scottish Play was a complete surprise to me. Delightful, creative, romantic and fun, and oh so much better than most of the mediocrity called movies these days.
Why hadn't I heard of The Scottish Play before? Why isn't this movie better known? Why wasn't it up for all kinds of awards? Why, oh why aren't there more movies like this? I can only hope that the writer and director ,Keith Boynton, becomes discovered by people with money and influence who can give his creative genius the limelight it deserves. May the ghost of Will Shakespeare appear before Hollywood producers and tell them about Keith Boynton!
Perfectly executed
Theatre friends, Bard buffs, Macbeth mavens, iambic pentameter addicts and lovers of a classic rom-com in which all ends well, I beg you not to miss this lovely movie. Polymathic writer-director Keith Boynton brings a gentle and satisfying gem of a movie that is literate, lovely to look at and listen to, and purely enjoyable. Anyone who has worked or seen any New England theatre festival performance will feel right at home here. Every discipline in this movie, from writing to acting to directing to lights, sound, cinematography, location and sets, is exquisitely right. Shout out to the hilariously acted character of the stage manager! My new favorite Christmas movie. After all, A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, too.