Macbeth: The man who would be king

BROODY, brisk, and bracing, Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest and punchiest tragedy. A new, energetic production of the macabre play is being staged at Smock Alley by Fast Intent theatre company.

“Macbeth was written as a thriller in its own day,” says the show’s director, Keith Thompson. “So, while it is a tragedy, there is also a lot of fun to it. The play runs along at this incredible pace. It’s like a steam train that doesn’t let up. We’re making it an hour-and-a-half long, with no interval. We’ve cut certain things, where necessary, but nothing major.”

Macbeth is the story of a Scottish army general who — having been told by three witches that the throne will come to him — connives with his wife, the ambitious Lady Macbeth, to seize the crown by murdering the reigning King Duncan and framing someone else. When the deed is done, it triggers further brutality, and the guilt haunts both the new king and his wife.