Macbeth Review – Creative Ambassadors

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is no stranger to reinvention, yet Mark Babych’s production plunges the play into a stark, claustrophobic bunker where ambition festers under fluorescent light. Trading medieval Scotland for a modern military setting, soldiers in camouflage and rifles replace thanes and swords, grounding the story in a world uncomfortably close to our own. The result is an ambience thick with tension, where the psychological unravelling of Macbeth feels less like distant tragedy and more like a chillingly plausible descent into power-fuelled paranoia. 

The play’s original brick castle walls have crumbled, and we are left with Rachael Canning’s masterful set design, which encases the characters within starched, metallic bunker walls. This asylum-like, unnamed madhouse buzzes and hisses with electric currents and disfunctions. The stage’s atmosphere swells into disconcerting darkness, punctuated by flashing red alarm lights, and then back to the eerie, muted hum of lamps dotted along the walls, like glaring eyes. Lady Macbeth’s alluring use of candlelight draws a mesmerising contrast to this electric paradise, as it seems that the frail flame that lights her failed dinner party and sleepwalking psychosis are both enhanced by the minimal lighting—her sanity is the dwindling flame she holds in the palm of her trembling hand. As the play spirals into murderous compulsions, the choice to dress the men in camouflage and with rifles hoisted up to their chins, it becomes prevalent that this Macbeth is outwardly confronting questions of morality and the questionable lengths to which people are willing to go to acquire power. Our main character, ultimately, is left shell-shocked and a victim of the comrades he had so carelessly wronged.  

Oliver Alvin-Wilson’s Macbeth is operatic, muscled, yet powerfully emotional in his vocal and physical delivery of Shakespeare’s text. Alvin-Wilson’s Macbeth carries a presence that is felt in the walls of the theatre, becoming a wonderful foil to Jo Mousley’s Lady Macbeth, who embodied the duality of the greed-stricken man’s wife with a riveting, regal air. For me, the two leading characters were expertly performed, both anchoring the play’s emotional centre, “full of sound and fury,” as Shakespeare intended it. Daniel Poyser offers a brilliant contrast to Macbeth in the role of his brotherly friend, Banquo, reappearing as his character’s ghost in a chilling yet powerful performance that becomes the defining, pivotal moment of Macbeth’s hallucinations. Simon Trinder also delivers some strong scenes as Macduff, while the play builds towards its catastrophically tragic ending.  

In Mark Babych’s Macbeth, the three witches (Livie Dalee, Josie Morley, Deborah Pugh) have morphed into a mask-wearing, body-bag-holding, psychotic trio. They toss bags of bloody parts behind a plastic curtain instead of making potions in a cauldron—which is equally, if not more unsettling—as they tamper with the fate and mental warfare of our main character. As the first scene we witness, they succeed in setting the eerie and brooding tone an audience is familiar with when watching Macbeth. It is gory, immersive, and expertly draws the audience into a world that is about to be consumed by the horrors of death.  

At the play’s core, Macbeth is at war—both with himself and with his alleged comrades and loved ones. The violence of Shakespeare’s text, suggests Babych in his adaptation of the play, is not one to be ignored. It is its central theme, its most important warning. It is important to listen, not to dismiss it, but to confront it. Or you, too, shall be left with bloodied hands.  

 Camila Ponce Hernandez, Creative Ambassador

Derby Theatre’s latest rendition of Macbeth swaps the misty highlands for the jagged edges of modern warfare, but the true battlefield lies in the psychological warfare of the protagonists. By juxtaposing the brutality of combat with the inner crumbling of the soul, this production offers a layered, metaphorical interrogation of trauma. It asks a daring question: Is the downfall of a King caused by fate, or by a carefully crafted plan that ultimately shatters the very illusion of the supernatural? 

    This rendition leans heavily into a political allegory, using Macbeth as a vessel to interrogate modern cultural flashpoints. However, the core of this ‘remix’ lies in its subversion of traditional gender roles. In a fascinating departure from the original script’s restraint, we see a Macbeth who lacks the stoic modesty expected of a high-ranking military man. Instead, the dynamic becomes a raw power struggle. Lady Macbeth’s provocation of his masculinity leads, ironically, to his emasculation, while she bolsters her own masculine energy to fill the void. This disruption of the natural order- the imbalance between feminine and masculine forces- is presented as the true catalyst for their tragic collapse, suggesting that when sovereignty is seized through treason, the internal self is the first to break.  

     The staging is undeniably the production’s strongest asset, making excellent use of space to navigate the distance between public duty and private guilt. The lighting masterfully distinguishes the foreground from the background, allowing the narrative to flow freely while maintaining the integrity of the fourth wall. By placing the death scenes in the periphery, the production creates a chilling sense of distance; these acts feel far from the ‘courts’ of Macbeth yet remain close enough to inflict significant distress on the protagonists’ world. This spatial layering is complemented by a seamless transition into fight scenes that are both atmospheric and technically precise. The actors weave in and out of the staging to depict the chaos of battle, creating a visceral, kinetic energy that grounds the play’s metaphorical weight in a tangible reality.  

    The modern costumes and sharp audio cues effectively reinforce the wartime setting, though the portrayal of trauma at times felt overacted. While the monologues were dramatic, they occasionally lacked the organic, service-level delivery required of Shakespearean verse, leaning into forced emotion. This contributed to a noticeable lack of chemistry between the leads, framing their relationship more as a transactional tactical alliance than a fated, tragic union.  

    Derby Theatre delivers a visually stunning, high-energy production that excels in its technical execution. While the characterisation of Macbeth’s trauma lacks traditional sovereign restraint, the production’s exploration of gendered power dynamics is deeply thought-provoking. It is an ambitious, metaphorical interrogation of what happens when we disrupt the natural order of the self.  

Shellbii Barton, Creative Ambassador

Credit to the Cast and Young Company 

• Macbeth performed by Oliver Alvin-Wilson 

• Malcom performed by Cayvan Coates 

• Donalbain and Witch performed by Livie Dalee 

• Duncan and Porter performed by Colin Hurley 

• Lady Macduff and Witch performed by Josie Morley  

• Lady Macbeth performed by Jo Mousley  

• Banquo performed by Daniel Poyser 

• First Witch and Cover performed by Deborah Pugh 

• Macduff performed by Simon Trinder  

• Ross performed by Benjamin Wilson 

• Cover performed by James Coutsavlis 

• Young Macduff performed by Alexandras Argyrakis  

• Fleance performed by Harry Carter 

• Fleance performed by Henry Buckley 

• Young Macduff performed by Jack Pass 

Credit to the Creative Team  

• Directed by Mark Babych  

• Set and Costume Design by Rachel Canning 

• Lighting Design by Sally Ferguson 

• Sound Design by Annie May Fletcher 

• Associate Sound Design by Sam Glossop 

• Fight Direction by Haruka Kuroda  

• Movement Direction by Deborah Pugh  

• Costume Supervision by Sian Thomas  

• Casting Direction by Liv Barr 

• Company Stage Management by Pip Hussey  

• Deputy Stage Management by Leila Stephenson  

• LX Operation by Megan Smith 

• Duty Technicians: David Bellamy, Hannah Griffiths, Olly Whitehead 

• Captions Operations by Bea Winchester 

• Chaperone: Helena Rimmer 

This was a wonderful rendition of the Scottish Play which drew me in from the very start. The cast were fantastic, with each actor delivering their role with confidence and skill. 

I particularly appreciated the well-considered changes made to the performance, which added a fresh dimension making it more relatable without taking away from the original story.  

Shakespeare can often be difficult to understand and follow, but this production conveyed the narrative so clearly that you can follow with ease and enjoy it. 

Overall, it was an engaging and accessible performance that brought Macbeth to life in a compelling way. 

Benjamin Todd, Creative Ambassador

I’ll be honest — I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. Shakespeare can sometimes feel distant and hard to follow, but Derby Theatre’s Macbeth is anything but. From the very first scene, it grabs you and doesn’t let go.

One of the things that makes this production so special is that it doesn’t stick rigidly to Shakespeare’s original language. The dialogue has been updated to feel natural and current, which means you spend less time trying to decode what’s being said and more time actually feeling it. And there is a lot to feel.

The story — a soldier returning from war, seduced by power and pushed into darkness by ambition — feels incredibly relevant right now. With everything going on in the world, it’s hard not to draw parallels, and the production clearly wants you to.

The actors are absolutely brilliant. Several of them play multiple characters throughout the evening, and the way they do it is masterful — each character feels completely distinct, fully lived-in, never confused with the last. On top of that, the emotional range they bring is jaw-dropping. One moment in tears, the next laughing, the next consumed by rage. It felt completely real, never forced.

What also surprised me were the touches of humour dotted throughout the play. They come at just the right moments, giving you a chance to breathe and smile before the tension pulls you back in again. It’s a clever balance, and it works beautifully.

The whole show has a raw, gritty energy to it. It’s intense, it’s at times uncomfortable, and it’s exactly as it should be.

If you get the chance to see it before it closes on 18th April, go. You won’t regret it.

Monika Skuza, Creative Ambassador

Lauren Wells, Creative Ambassador

Last night I attended the press night performance of Macbeth at Derby Theatre, and I was very impressed by the production. Choosing to set the story in a contemporary time frame made the story all the more relatable, bringing the cruelty and violence of wartime into harsh reality.

As a performer who designs and creates costumes myself, I was particularly struck by the costuming choices in the play. Although the clothes used were modern, there was a timeless feel that meant I could imagine the story happening in any time from the 1980s until now. Military uniforms gave us visual cues about different characters’ rank, while civilian clothes clearly signified class and social status – dress suits contrasted against jeans and leather jackets immediately letting us know each person’s role in the hierarchy.

Lady Macbeth was a standout point of brightness among a subdued palette of khaki greens, muted browns, and dusty blacks. Often seen in blood red, foreshadowing her later actions, she seemed separated from her gritty surroundings, the uniforms and travelling clothes of other characters seeming faded and grubby in comparison.

The other standouts were of course, the witches. Wearing a mish-mash of clothes that seemed looted (including items that likely came from emergency service workers, like hospital scrubs or high-vis jackets), they gave a post-apocalyptic vibe, hinting at the possible end result of the ensuing conflict. The ending scene, with the first witch’s costume incorporating items from the actress’s double role, introduced an interesting element of ambiguity – had the witches been watching in plain sight all along? How much influence had they had over the events of the play? Where did those scrubs really come from?

All in all, the costuming enhanced the plot, giving clear visual signifiers, and bringing extra depth to the story. I definitely recommend seeing the production while you can!

Fleur Du Mal, Creative Ambassador

On Thursday the 2nd of April 2026 I was honoured to watch the production of
Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ as directed by Mark Babych. The setting was contemporary and
the actors were wearing present day attire, whilst speaking Old English. This was great to
contextualise it in the present.
The themes of the tragedy were brought to the present via the use of modern outfits. It
expressed the ravages of war, the desperation of women and the cost of cruel ambition.
This was further cemented by many of the deaths being offstage, which mirrored how in
today’s society we are told about the deaths in war torn countries, but do not usually see
them. Additionally, in certain scenes the use of lighting becoming brighter or dimmer and
changes in colour temperature was masterful.
Furthermore, Oliver Alvin-Wilson, who plays Macbeth, did a fantastic job showing
Macbeth’s descent in paranoia with his repetitive actions and expressive dialogue.
Moreover, Lady Macbeth, played by Jo Mousley, was brilliant in her goading and chiding of
Macbeth in the first half of the play. After the interval when Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking
she gives an excellent performance, especially with the changing volume of her dialogue.
Although, there were some points where it was a little challenging to hear the actors. In
addition, Benjamin Wilson, who plays Ross, was amazing and was my personal favourite.
In particular, during his speech when he says ‘men must not walk too late’ his delivery of
each line was beautiful and purposeful.
Overall, the production of Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ as directed by Mark Babych was
masterful fusion of both modern and old with the themes still ringing true today. ‘Hell is
murky’ and if you think so too you had better come and watch ‘Macbeth’.

Avneet Seehra, Creative Ambassador