In this classic tale of greed and guilt, award-winning Flabbergast Theatre’s “Macbeth” fuses a rigorous and respectful approach to text and storytelling to bring a magical, lucid interpretation of Shakespeare’s blood-soaked tragedy to life.
Playing to their strengths and background in puppetry, clown, mask, ensemble and physical theatre, Flabbergast have developed their first text-based production (with extensive R&D with Wilton’s Musical Hall London and the Grotowski Institute in Poland) to foster the bard’s original text accompanied by and supported with exhilarating live music to produce a provocative and enjoyably accessible show.
Beautifully performed music and vocal work combine into a powerful live soundscape creating an atmosphere that both complements and juxtaposes the action. With a stripped-back set, and an aesthetically arresting design, the tight-knit ensemble of actors performs a dark and visceral manifestation of the work’s essence and underlying themes.
Flabbergast presents an instinctive interpretation of Shakespeare’s most wretched tragedy, working to draw out the parallels with modern society. At its heart, the dominant recurring theme and fundamental narrative that powers “The Tragedy of Macbeth” is the masculine fear of feminine power; and in this sense, the play is as pertinent today as it has ever been.
This timeless work examines what it meant to be a man, and what it meant to be a woman and underscores the social contracts between the two that dictate the actions of the protagonists. The notion that gender is a social construct is never more clear than during Lady Macbeth’s “unsex me here” soliloquy, as she fights to set aside her feminine role, lest it hinder her dark ambitions. And the witches – who can appear as crones or maids – embody the power which threatened the patriarchal establishment.
“A daringly unique experience.”
Broadway Baby for The Swell Mob
“So intriguing and intoxicating.”
The Scotsman for The Swell Mob
“Seeing it once was wonderful, repeating the experience would be even better.”
The Skinny for The Swell Mob
“Transports your imagination to another dimension.”
ThreeWeeks for The Swell Mob
Direction and design – Henry Maynard
Movement consultation – Matej Matejka
Musical arrangement – Adam Clifford
Lighting – Rachel Shipp
Macbeth – Simon Gleave
Lady Macbeth – Briony O’Callaghan
Macduff – Daniel Chrisostomou
Banquo/Porter/Doctor – Dale Wylde
Lennox/Witch/Lady Macduff – Paulina Krzeczkowska
Ross/Witch – Vyte Garriga
Language – English with Polish subtitles