This summer The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s premier all male theatre company, present the breathless and brilliant tragedy, Macbeth. The 2021 tour will provide audiences with a highly anticipated return to live theatre and a kick start to the summer.
Following last year’s postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, leading proponents of open air theatre for the last 15 years, return with a thrilling and powerful production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The production premieres in Salisbury in early June before embarking on an extensive summer tour concluding in late August. Full tour dates and details will be announced in due course.
Over the summer months the company will perform in the gardens and grounds of some of the UK’s most significant, historically important and visually stunning castles, cathedrals and stately homes including: Chatsworth, Harewood House, Hylands Estate and Waddesdon Manor.
This open air production is ‘See it Safely’ compliant and will strictly adhere to government and industry COVID safety guidance, ensuring every effort is made to protect audiences and company members at all times. For this unique theatrical experience, audiences are encouraged to bring a chair, a sun hat and a glass of something chilled as the show promises to be another authentic, excellent and magical treat from the company that brought you 2019’s sell-out smash production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Acclaimed for their stylish and accessible productions The Lord Chamberlain’s Men have been wowing audiences throughout the country and internationally in their trademark style since 2004. Continually raising the bar for standards in open air theatre they have gone from strength to strength and now eagerly anticipate utilising that expertise to be at the vanguard of the theatre industry’s post-lockdown recovery this summer.
Talking about the power of seeing theatre in the open air, Peter Stickney, Artistic Director says, “Experiencing Shakespeare’s productions outside, where he first saw them, is a truly special thing. As the light fades and the moon shines bright, it is thrilling to think that we are looking at the same moon Shakespeare did whilst we listen to the words he wrote more than 400 years ago. It is exhilarating to think that the experience of gathering together, something we have been deprived of for so long now, to encounter and be entertained by his work is something people have been doing for more than four centuries. Our need for and love of shared experiences and stories, specifically, Shakespeare’s stories remain undimmed. Being a part of Shakespeare’s legacy, we look to honour his plays presenting them as we do and, simply, provide people with an entertaining and magical evening.
I am incredibly excited to be amongst the first in the country to bring live theatre back to audiences. We have been lucky enough to make and enjoy theatre in special outdoor settings for many years and I hope those looking to once again experience top-quality theatre will join us to enjoy this unique theatrical experience.”
Speaking about what audiences can expect this summer he said, “Macbeth is a breathless thrill-ride from start to finish and is one of my personal favourites. This year we will be running the production without an interval. This will aid our COVID security planning but happily suits the play down to the ground. We are well-practised in using challenges as artistic opportunity and this is a perfect chance to do just that. One of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, this intense and passionate story really benefits from this treatment. Expect sword fights, stunning poetry, smoke, fire and drums as this epic play gets our usual epic treatment; I can’t wait for our audience, those new to us and those we are welcoming back, to see it.”
With Authenticity, Excellence and Magic as the watchwords of the company, audiences new and old can expect a summer treat and a much sought-after return to theatre, as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men bring their own special brand of all male Shakespeare to venues throughout the country. Don’t miss this brilliant company perform Shakespeare as he first saw it; in the open air and with Elizabethan costume, music and dance.
Further details can be found here
