Modern-day Macbeth _{by Tanya Piejus}

Leap Day and the first two weekends in March are your chance to see a stunning, contemporary production of Shakespeare’s popular, pacey, and powerful tragedy of unchecked ambition, Macbeth.

In Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe’s Bard in the Yard production, the iconic character is one of the head honchos of the notorious Scotland crime family. He leads a successful fight against rivals, but he and his wife are tainted by greed after three mysterious women prophesy his future. He murders the Boss, Duncan, and assumes control of the family. But who can he trust? Things quickly start to fall apart. Blood will have blood as Macbeth sinks into insanity and despotism, friends turn against him, and his wife dies by her own hand.

Director John Marwick says, “Although regicide is not a common feature of modern life, there are still plenty of examples of power struggles, self-interest pushed to extremes, and tyrannical – even murderous – ambition. Human nature hasn’t changed a lot in 400 years and a story of how greed, ambition, and opportunism push a couple over the edge into evil, and eventually into madness and despair, is as true today as it was in Shakespeare’s day.”

The production will run outdoors in the Muritai School yard in Eastbourne from the 29^th of February to the 2^nd of March, and from the 7^th to the 9^th of March, but moves indoors if the weather is poor. Wrap up warm and arrive early to get a hot mulled wine from the bar.