Ranvir Shorey on Rajat Kapoor’s ‘What’s Done Is Done’, based on ‘Macbeth’

Ranvir Shorey discusses reinventing Macbeth through clowning in Rajat Kapoor’s What’s Done Is Done, blending Shakespearean tragedy with comedy

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tale of power, ambition, and downfall. But in Rajat Kapoor’s What’s Done Is Done, it takes on a completely new life through the eyes of clowns. The play, a part of Kapoor’s ongoing experiment with clown-based Shakespearean adaptations, stars Ranvir Shorey as Macky B, a reimagining of the Scottish general consumed by his own ambition.

For Ranvir, the appeal of What’s Done Is Done lies in its creative process. “It’s a devised piece where we take Macbeth, deconstruct it, and then reconstruct it through clowning. This involves months of workshopping and collaboration, which I find incredibly enriching,” he says.

His familiarity with Macbeth predates the production. “It’s quite omnipresent in the life of anyone educated in English. We even did an abridged version in school. But studying it deeply as an adult gives you a much richer understanding of human behaviour — how power, ambition, and greed shape people.”

This deeper study is evident in the way Macbeth is performed in Kapoor’s adaptation. “For someone who hasn’t read Macbeth, this play offers a basic understanding of the story,” Ranvir explains. “But more importantly, it’s fun. We interpret the play as clowns, poking holes in the narrative and what’s happening on stage. The tragedy is still there, but it’s infused with humour.”

The idea of performing Macbeth through clowning might seem paradoxical, but for Ranvir, it is a natural evolution of Shakespeare’s own work. “Shakespeare wrote tragicomedies himself,” he says, “Any great piece of literature can be adapted in different ways, and Macbeth, being one of the most famous plays by the most famous playwright, provides rich material to experiment with.”

This approach, however, presents unique challenges. “The biggest challenge was presenting darker emotions as a clown,” he admits, “Visually, it’s really interesting. And what better material than Macbeth to explore that?”

For Ranvir, each performance of What’s Done Is Done brings new discoveries. “It’s like a familiar journey where you find new nuances each time. The changes might seem minor to the audience, but for an actor practising the part for so long, those discoveries are the fun part.”