August 2003 Production:  MACBETH

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Steve Gagen

This is a highly exciting production, directed by Steve Gagen, one of our most experienced directors. Steve has a cast and crew of thirty in this production, with some of the best and most experienced actors we have ever had in a Moreland play.

The production is modern and completely accessible to a present-day audience without altering one word of the original Shakespearean script.

Steve's concept for this play is that Macbeth is the prototype of all tyrants. It is striking how many similarities there are between the rise and fall of Macbeth and that of such well known dictators as Hitler, Mussolini and Sadam Hussein.

Just like these latter-day tyrants, Macbeth seizes power without legitimacy - by murdering the wise, gentle, trusting and generous Duncan. In this he is encouraged by his wife, lady Macbeth, who has a strange, almost sexual, power over him.

Macbeth's and his wife's towering ambition and ruthlessness leads eventually to revolt in his own nation, and when 10,000 Englishmen come to depose him - sent by the pious King Edward - they find that Macbeth's regime collapses without so much as a fight.

In this production, there is a strong emphasis on the political nature of the play, but the power of the occult - as expressed through the witches - is not neglected, and there are some exciting scenes depicting the supernatural aspects of the play.

This production, then, is not set in the 10th century, when the original Macbeth upon whom Shakespeare based his play lived. Nor is it set in the present world. It is rather set in all times and no times, with deliberately anacronistic elements, such as electric torches and modern combat gear, sitting comfortably side-by-side with candles and swords and daggers.

keen-eyed audience members may also spot a few allusions to some of our most notorious tyrants in the design and costuming - but what they are will have to come as a surprise!

So come along and judge for yourself - a great experience is guaranteed!

Macbeth will be performed in the Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre (MIPAC), corner of Sydney Road and Glenyon Road, Brunswick, on August 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30 at 8.00 pm, with a 2.00 pm matinee on Sunday 24 August. Tickets are $15 waged, $10 unwaged. For schools bookings, one free teacher ticket with each 10 students booked.

MIPAC is a comfortable, recently-refurbished venue that seats 100 audience members in raked seating, all seats having a good view of the stage. The lighting and sound equipment is modern and comprehensive, and enables us to stage an excitingly modern production which uses the lighting and sound facilities of the theatre to the full in this production.

For bookings, please ring MIPAC directly on 9388-1942.

You can see some rehearsal pictures of the play.

For information about the prouction, contact our Public Officer Glenys Lewis on 9386-0048, or the director, Steve Gagen, on his mobile phone on 0401-009097, or via email at steve@gagens.com.

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