MacBeth by William Shakespeare

TNT Theatre Britain was founded in 1980. Since then it has established itself as one of the most popular international touring theatre companies in the world. Last season alone the company produced seven productions in almost thirty countries worldwide, ranging from Shakespeare classics such as Romeo & Juliet to their own new play Hitler Killed My Canary, from works by contemporary artists such as Paul Auster’s Moon Palace to the classic seasonal show: Dickens’ Christmas Carol.

Since 1993 the company has been in collaboration with the American drama group Europe. The artistic director of TNT is Paul Stebbings, who’s work has won many awards at, for example, the Munich Biennale, the Edinburgh Festival, the Tehran Festival and from the Government of Singapore.

This is a full blooded production that is not afraid to unleash the power of Shakespeare’s dark masterpiece. The witches are indentified as the source of the dramatic energy of the play. They are shamans, wild forest spirits and they are neither man nor woman. They inhabit the entire world of the play. Macbeth himself is a warrior, not a thinker, a man of courage whose bravery is corrupted by unthinking ambition. His wife is also a type of witch, this is a lady Macbeth who calls down the spirits to “unsex her here” but is possessed and destroyed by the demons she thought to command. In contrast the porter scene is a comic and acrobatic dance that is (unusually) genuinely funny. The set, by noted designers Kurn and Gross, is an extraordinary luminous series of walls that become trees. These move around the stage on wheels, creating striking visual imagery.

Macbeth was the company’s first Shakespeare production, premiering in Munich in 2000. The production ran continously for over two years and was performed in Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Japan, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Usa. This revival has been invited to Britain, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, The gulf states (with further options in India and the USA). 

The production is notable for its highly physical style, its integrated musical score, the quality of the Shakespearean verse speaking and its dynamic interpretation which concentrates on the supernatural elements and above all the witches. The setting is historical. The set is also notable, shifting on wheels and pulleys to create a constantly moving image of the forest and castle.

“The imagery is as striking as the raw power of the theatre. The pace surges forward and Shakespeare’s tragedy grips until its thrilling climax.... The outstanding ensemble received tremendous applause!” Suddeutsche Zeitung (Germany) 

“Extraordinary, TNT demonstrate how Shakespeare can be made relevant to a modern audience anywhere in the world” Japan Times, Tokyo

Duration    2 and 1/2 hours including interval

Please note: This performance is suitable for children over 10. Smoke affects are used in this performance.