Preview – Macbeth – The Progressive Players at The Little Theatre

Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble...

...let the Progressive Players cast a spell on you
this October with a dark tale of witchcraft, murderous ambition and madness!

It’s exactly 400 years since William Shakespeare published his First Folio, a collection of 36 of his plays. Little wonder, then, that theatre companies both large and small are celebrating this landmark anniversary by staging some of the Bard’s best works.

One of the most well-known is MACBETH, a powerful tale of murder, love, ambition and witchcraft. Most of us are familiar with the story; Macbeth, a renowned Scottish general, hears a prophecy from three witches that he is to become king. Encouraged and cajoled by his ambitious wife, Macbeth succeeds in murdering King Duncan and taking the crown for himself. But there’s a catch, of course, and the Macbeths find themselves trapped in a downward spiral of desperation, paranoia and guilt.

“The Scottish Play”, as many in the acting profession like to call it, is probably the most frequently performed of all of Shakespeare’s plays, and certainly one of the shortest. It also boasts perhaps the most straightforward plot, moving along at a brisk pace. 

With an abundance of MACBETH productions to choose from all over the country, theatre-goers are really spoilt for choice. Here in the North East you can join the Progressive Players who are presenting MACBETH from 9th to 14th October at the Little Theatre Gateshead, as part of the theatre’s 80th anniversary.

Eddie Collins

Director Edward Martin Collins promises an unforgettable theatre experience. He has opted to keep the play in its traditional 11th century Scotland setting, with staging influenced by the original production of 1611. And, in common with most performances of Shakespeare these days, there is some gender-blind casting for several of the key roles.

“In 1611,” says Edward, “there would have been no women present on stage as all parts were played by men. There were certain artistic challenges presented in our casting, but the overall look and tenor of the production have been the defining goals.”

MACBETH is a play wrapped in superstition. Ominously, the week of the Progressive Players’ run includes, for some, the most superstitious date in the calendar; Friday the thirteenth!

MACBETH opens on 9 October. Tickets, priced at a very reasonable £12 (£10 Concessions), are available online or by calling the box office on 0191 4781499.

*Images courtesy of The Progressive Players