Macbeth from Big Telly Theatre
London theatre news: Tuesday 8 September 2020
Online - Shakespeare
Big Telly Theatre's Macbeth will headline the Belfast International Arts Festival this October.
Image courtesy Big Telly Theatre
From 14 to 31 October, Big Telly Theatre Company will present an online reboot of one of Shakespeare's best-known plays - Macbeth.
The world premiere will open at the 58th installment of the Belfast International Arts Festival (BIAF), Ireland's leading contemporary international arts festival and the highlight of this year's virtual programme.
This production of Macbeth has been specifically produced for a socially distanced world, being performed live on screen for four nights before transferring to Creation Theatre's platform as a co-production until 31 October.
There will also be a special midnight show will be performed on 30 October, the night before All Hallow's Eve.
Macbeth is directed by Big Telly's founder Zoe Seaton who has directed four successful lockdown productions since April 2020, including a critically acclaimed The Tempest.
Ms Seaton said ...
"Think of the witches like spyware - a form of malicious behaviour gathering information and infiltrating the system.
The show is going to be loaded with technology aimed at playing tricks on the mind, eyes and ears of the spectator.
I want them to feel privy to every dilemma and dark corner of this classic text but we also want to be playful and have fun with the characteristics of digital theatre - garbled audio, inexplicable dropouts, fake locations, special effects - the unpredictability of the internet - exactly what is live and what is not - like in horror films when there seems to be a power cut - what if your connection hasn't been lost - what if it's been taken? Constantly shifting between the dark and the light, between horror and comedy."
A Celtic inspired soundtrack has been composed by Garth McConaghie (THE LYRIC THEATRE, BELFAST, NEW VICTORY THEATRE, BROADWAY, NEW YORK, with set and costume design by Ryan Dawson Laight (CHICHESTER THEATRE FESTIVAL, GARY CLARKE COMPANY, DENADA DANCE THEATRE, V&A).
Martin Collett, Senior Programme Director at Channel 4 News, is collaborating on the production with Big Telly Theatre as creative consultant, exploring special effects and vision mixing technology to enhance the visual impact of the show.
Macbeth features a five strong cast which includes Nicky Harley (GAME OF THRONES, HBO), Lucia McAnespie (THE NATIONAL, TRAFALGAR STUDIOS, LYRIC THEATRE, FINBOROUGH THEATRE, SOHO THEATRE), Dennis Herdman (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - TOUR, RSC, REGENT'S PARK, SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE, RSC, NEW VIC THEATRE), Aonghus Og McAnally (PENNY DREADFUL, Showtime, John Boorman's The TIGER'S TAIL, The BARBICAN) and Dharmesh Patel (RSC, SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE).
Venue
Online
Dates
14 - 17 October online at the BIAF
Wed to Sat 7pm (Fri & Sat additional 9.30pm show)
17- 31 Oct - online at Creation Theatre
Box office -
Tickets
£20 per device
Cast
Nicky Harley - Lady Macbeth
Dennis Herdman - Macbeth
Aonghus Og McAnally - Witch, King Duncan, Macduff
Lucia McAnespie - Witch, Lady Macduff, Malcolm
Dharmesh Patel - Witch/Banquo
Creatives
Director and adaptor - Zoe Seaton
Set/Costume Designer - Ryan Dawson Laight
Creative Consultant - Martin Collett
Composer/Sound Designer - Garth McConaghie
Production Manager - Giles Stoakley
Technical Stage Manager - Sinead Owens
Links
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