Senior Production 2017: Macbeth

Last Thursday April 6th and Friday April 7th found the auditorium packed out with an audience eager to watch a modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

With a cast of 35 students from Year 11 to 13 the production took the audience on a journey into Macbeth’s dark world.

Ten witches surrounded the action throughout and marked out the space in which the story would unfold. Being both watchers and instigators they frequently mimicked the action centre stage or foreshadowed events with their whispered comments.

The cast were dressed in black, white and red with the exception of one innocent player, Macduff’s young son played ably by Paul Martinez. On the cyclorama, images took us to locations and blood spatters flew up the wall shocking the audience as each murder took place.

Lighting and smoke was once again designed by our professional lighting technician Mr Tim Williams contributing to the creation of the atmosphere. The montage in the final moments of the production as the Witches left in darkness, torches in hand, was designed to leave questions in the audience’s mind – are we indeed living in less troubled times?

The production has received several positive reviews from the public. One reviewer wrote:

The very concept and approach was so refreshingly different! The near empty stage (poor theatre) was very effective and helped to create a setting left to the imagination of the audience. The use of mobile phones and a bicycle along with video recording of the sleep walking scene surely made the play (and Shakespeare) something that perhaps would make the teens of today appreciate the great Bard.

Our thanks go to all the students who took part as performers and all the staff and students both backstage and Front of House who were vital to the production.