By William Shakespeare
Directed by Peter Evans
With Kate Mulvany and Dan Spielman

An erotic and eccentric take on a classic Shakespearean work, with two of Australia’s most revered actors, Kate Mulvany and Dan Spielman at the helm of the brutal frenzy.

He seemed to have it all. A beautiful wife, loyal fans, a dream job and a whole lot of money, then he fell, hard and fast. It’s a familiar story in a world governed by status and money. This is the seduction of power. This is the story of Macbeth.

Macbeth is a brave and honourable man, but when he learns of the prediction that he is to become king, he his placed under the spell of impending sovereignty and lured onto the path of his own downfall. Lady Macbeth ensures he gets the push he needs to assume the throne, her inordinate ambition making murder itself seem to be a lesser evil than failure to achieve the crown.

With blood on their hands, the Macbeths, once a picture of privileged nobility, become lost in their ambitions, soon discovering there is no way out, only a way forward. Instead of owning their actions, their actions own them, trapping the couple in a world of guilt, madness and murder.

Following on from 2011’s national tour of Julius Caesar, Associate Artistic Director, Peter Evans directs Macbeth. Bringing a fresh approach to the text, he fulfils a long awaited ambition to collaborate with Dan Spielman in the title role, and Kate Mulvany as the captivating Lady Macbeth.

Dan Spielman is currently seen on Australian television in the Network Ten drama, “Offspring” and A Golem Story for Malthouse. Kate Mulvany has just been cast in Baz Luhrmann’s anticipated remake of The Great Gatsby, and starred as the convincing Cassius in Evans’ 2011 production of Julius Caesar.

Peter Evans says: “Macbeth is a play with a spectacularly erotic and destructive marriage at its centre. Ambition tears the couple apart and eventually the isolation of power sends her mad and him on a brutal rampage ending with their inevitable deaths.”

In a society dangerously adoring of celebrities, the production highlights the destructive influence of our obsession with power, fame and fortune.

This is Bell Shakespeare’s fourth production of Macbeth, following productions in 1994, 1997 and 2007.

The Arts Centre, Playhouse
Bookings: 1300 182 183
theartscentre.com.au
or 1300 723 038
ticketmaster.com.au