The Macbeths to make a morbid Christmas

Co-director of The Macbeths, Darby Turnbull, outside the Bluestone Church in Footscray where the play will be performed next month. (Ljubica Vrankovic) 438183_01

Shakespeare will be performed in Footscray with a Christmas twist next month.

The Macbeths is an intimate and tense reimagining of Shakespeare’s original text abridged to just the titular couple.

Set at Christmas, a woman anxiously waits for news of her husband fighting in a bloody civil war. When she receives news that he’s returning home a war hero and supernatural providence has declared he will be king a deadly plan is set in motion that will unite them and rip them apart.

Starring real life couple and theatre makers Cassandra Hart and Robert Lloyd, The Macbeths is the latest in a series alternative Shakespearan plays the pair have appeared in, including Shakespeare Aliens, Shakespeare Ghostbusters and William Shakespeare’s Reservoir Dogs.

Co-directed by Sharmini Kumar of 24 Carrot Productions and Darby Turnbull of Misfit Toys, The Macbeths will be performed at Footscray’s Bluestone Church from December 11 to 14.

“The Macbeths is our first presentation of a classical text and we’re very excited for our audience to experience the resonance of the pairs character arcs and connect with their desires, ambitions and sorrows that are deeply relatable to this day,” said Ms Turnbull of the production which will be performed by (flameless, LED) candlelight.

She said setting the the play at Christmas would provide a morbid alternative to the traditional entertainment on offer at that time of the year.

“What’s Christmas without a little marital strife, murder, grief and madness!”

Tickets: www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1290434

Cade Lucas.