Embarking on a UK tour following its successful run in London and Basingstoke, award-winning Proteus’ adaptation of Macbeth takes Shakespeare’s macabre tragedy to the tumult of the trading room floor. Directed by Mary Swan, the artistic director, this Macbeth is a gripping corporate thriller set in London during the stock market crash of 1987.
A Great Storm, a Black Monday, a market crash that reverberates across the world – Proteus’ Macbeth is suffused with decadence and aggression as a tormented soul finds the noose of bravado begin to tighten. With an electrifying soundtrack of eighties classics, Proteus have worked closely with Ad Infinitum’s George Mann to create a highly physical interpretation of a classic.
The production joins the ‘greed is good’ corporate landscape where success is all and ruthless ambition is rewarded. The only problem is, how do you control it before it consumes you and your family? Exploring the pressures of race, class and identity, sudden betrayal and even more sudden violence shake a society to its core.
Leading the production, Hassan Maarfi (The Left Behind, BBC; Playing with Shakespeare, Theatre Royal Shakespeare) will appear as Macbeth joined by Kudzanayi Chiwawa (The Importance of Being Earnest, Tara Theatre; One Hundred Trillion, Southwark Playhouse) as Lady Macbeth. Also joining the cast are Adrian Decosta (Nation, National Theatre; The Taming of the Shrew, RSC), Jessica Andrade (Around the World in 80 Days, UK tour; The Brownie Club, Jacksons Lane) and Adam Buksh (Scot Squad, BBC; How to Make a Killing in Bollywood, UK tour).
Director Mary Swan comments, “It’s really exciting to be able to bring our interpretation of Macbeth to a brand new audience on this tour; with an almost completely new, young cast of incredibly talented actors of colour. Shakespeare’s tragedy of a man corrupted by a lust for power, leading him to believe he can act above the law, has never been so timely. The show is even more fast–paced and physical than before, and with the 80s revival in full swing, this will be a truly unique take on the play.”
Proteus Theatre’s Macbeth will tour October – November. Full tour details can be found here.
