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★★★★
The Duke’s Theatre Company are currently touring outdoor venues across the UK, presenting Shakespeare’s Macbeth as their 2025 Summer show. This weekend I was fortunate enough to catch the production at Goodnestone Park, Kent, which is a beautiful estate on the outskirts of Canterbury and I was enthralled by the attention to detail in the staging, strong cast performances and commitment to creating an atmospheric environment. Sitting with a picnic as the sun goes down, this really is a unique way to experience a Shakespeare play and director Robert Shaw Cameron and The Duke’s Theatre Company have created a captivating interpretation of the Bard’s text.
Fully staged and open air
This is the story of ambition that we all know, but told in a visually unique way, with Jessica Curtis’ set design generating an almost fort-like effect within the gardens. The set is made up of raised blocks, mechanical tubing and flags, and even though it is simple in arrangement, the positioning and detail highlights the castles in the narrative. Additionally, there is a significant amount of illusion, from the portrayal of the witches to the depiction of the deaths, which is no easy feat in an open air performance space. This combined with some carefully selected haunting music makes for an enigmatic evening of live theatre.
Multi-role format
A cast of seven actors take on the many roles of the story, with everyone except Macbeth (Finnbar Hayman) and Lady Macbeth (Marilyn Nnadebe) taking on multiple parts. It is brilliantly acted, but presenting this story as a multi-role piece brings with it challenges, especially as some of the minor roles have a limited number of lines and are sometimes not introduced by name. This combined with the fast pacing means that it’s not always easy to follow who each of the supporting characters are. For such a visually impressive production, I believe there needs to be more symbols and distinguishing factors in the costuming – to better highlight the minor identities. Even as somebody who knows Macbeth quite well, I found myself revisiting the narrative after the performance to recollect the significance of some of the smaller parts.
Powerful and atmospheric
Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, partly due to the accessibility of the writing and complexity of the characters. I loved seeing it presented in this bold and visual way. It was thrilling watching the narrative develop as the sky darkened and the conflict came to a climax. A little more distinction in the supporting characters would be appreciated, but regardless this is an incredibly engaging interpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy. There are 7 remaining venues on the tour, with tickets available via the company’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Macbeth’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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