An acclaimed production of The Scottish Play opens at Bristol Old Vic tonight
Posted on: 02 Feb 2024“The Macbeths want what they believe to be theirs, the crown.” How long will it take a divided society to fight back against the ever-turning wheel of power and violence?
Shakespeare’s Macbeth runs at Bristol Old Vic from Thursday 25 January until Saturday 10 February 2024.
English Touring Theatre’s production of Macbeth is visceral, claustrophobic and intoxicating, speaking to a world that we find ourselves living in today, as we watch those who hold the highest positions of power in our society brazenly using deceit and misinformation in their quest for power.
BUY TICKETS HERE
Shakespeare’s classic tragedy follows Macbeth, a noble Scottish warrior and his descent into tyranny and madness after three witches prophecise that he will become king. Driven by ambition and manipulated by his wife, a bloody chain of events is triggered.
One of theatre’s most celebrated pieces, it is often referred to as ‘The Scottish Play’ due to a superstition about speaking the name ‘Macbeth’ inside a theatre. Popular on-screen iterations include Akira Kurosawa’s legendary 1957 film Throne of Blood and Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021).
This production of Macbeth focuses on the couple’s landscape of grief and uncertainty, acting as a complex portrait of a fragile mind. It is a tense psychological exploration of masculinity, fragility, shame and delusion. All the while, nature is transforming, dreams are becoming nightmares, our world is rejecting humanity.
The world-creating set design from Basia Binkowska is both epic and intimate, able to create both sweeping landscapes and the domestic lives of the characters. However, due to the touring nature of the company, it must also be adaptable to many different theatres. Find out all about it here.
As ever, Bristol Old Vic has a busy schedule of exciting productions in the coming up with inspiring shows such as Black Is The Color Of My Voice, Feb half term specials like The Farmer And The Clown, city-wide events like Slapstick Festival and even more Shakespeare with Twelfth Night. Browse the full programme, here.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth runs at Bristol Old Vic from Thursday 25 January until Saturday 10 February 2024 – grab your tickets, HERE.
Article by:
Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.
