Macbeth as you’ve never seen before
by Educate Magazine April 18, 2023 · Theatre
In a bold new retelling of William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, this tale of ambition and betrayal will transport audiences at the Liverpool Playhouse to a dystopian future from 25 to 29 April.
Fusing live action with striking video technology, theatre company imitating the dog’s Macbeth is a reimagining of the classic play set in a neon-noir world with dazzling visuals, cutting-edge staging and a bold contemporary approach.
In this adaptation, the traditional Scottish total and thane hierarchies are transformed into a criminal organisation operation in a city surrounded by concrete buildings. Shakespeare’s language is woven into modern gangster jargon, along with imitating the dog’s distinctive form of theatre, in which a filmic narrative is created on stage.
Pete Brooks, co-director and artistic director of imitating the dog, said: “We’ve kept a lot of the monologues and dialogues with the Macbeths.
“They are very poetic and form the play’s core, so they have stayed. When the Macbeths are not in a scene, we’ve taken quite a lot of liberties and we’ve added a lot of narrative material.
“We make work that is challenging, but fun and work that we want to see. We map stories onto different narrative vehicles, the idea of a multimedia story.”
Andrew Quick, co-director and artistic director of imitating the dog, added: “Macbeth is such an extraordinary play. Shakespeare’s exploration of power, ambition, violence, and love seems so relevant today.
“We’re bringing a unique take to the original while being true to the spirit of all those amazing words and scenes. It will be a Macbeth as you’ve never seen before – but it’s still Shakespeare.”
The new production’s cast features Benjamin Westerby (All’s Well That Ends Well and Wars of the Roses, Royal Shakespeare Company) as Macbeth and Maia Tamrakar (Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre and Rock, Scissors, Paper, Sheffield Crucible) as Lady Macbeth.
The cast will also feature Laura Atherton (Night of The Living Dead™ - Remix, imitating the dog), Stefan Chanyaem (Living Archive, Royal Court Theatre) and Matt Prendergast (Dracula: The Untold Story) as the Witches/Ensemble.
Tickets for imitating the dog’s production of Macbeth at Liverpool Playhouse are on sale now and can be purchased online or by phone. For further information and to book tickets, please click here or call the box office on 0151 709 4776.
