MACBETH
Bread and Roses Theatre
★★★★
“The atmosphere is not built with materials, but with sound, silence, and breath”
On a stark, shadow-drenched stage, Macbeth breathes again – visceral, raw, and chillingly relevant. This stripped-back production brings Shakespeare’s tragedy into the present with terrifying clarity, proving that ambition, guilt, and power never go out of fashion. There are no elaborate sets, no grandiose costumes, only two actors, their voices, their presence, and the weight of one of the most haunting plays ever written.
Ant Henson and Martha Ibbotson deliver performances of remarkable intensity and intelligence. Together, they inhabit a multitude of roles with seamless dexterity, shifting personas with only the subtlest changes in posture, tone, and gaze. Their chemistry on stage is magnetic, and their understanding of the text runs deep. At times, it feels like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are not just being portrayed, but lived. Shakespeare would no doubt recognise his words in their mouths, and perhaps even nod in approval at the fearless urgency with which they resurrect his work.
This is theatre reduced to its purest form. With no props or scenery to rely on, the setting is conveyed entirely through the text. The actors’ words become the landscape: we see the misty highlands of Scotland, the candlelit corridors of Dunsinane, and the eerie, wind-swept heath where the witches deliver their fateful prophecies, all summoned through Shakespeare’s language and the evocative delivery of the performers. The atmosphere is not built with materials, but with sound, silence, and breath.
Produced by Most Rare Vision, this minimalist masterpiece is supported by the precise and evocative work of Shelton Wong on sound and lighting. The lights do not simply illuminate, they sculpt the space, casting long shadows and sudden bursts of intensity that mirror the psychological descent of the characters.
A nod also goes to associate producer Emma Louise-Price for her contribution behind the scenes, helping bring the vision to the stage with care and clarity.
This Macbeth is not a comfortable experience, and it shouldn’t be. It’s a visceral, lean, and emotionally charged retelling that strips the story to its bloody core. The result is a chillingly modern portrait of human ambition and ruin. It doesn’t just retell Shakespeare’s tale; it reclaims it for today.
Bread and Roses Theatre
Reviewed on 27th May 2025
by Beatrice Morandi
Photography by Barbara Szente
Previously reviewed at this venue:
SOBRIETY ON THE ROCKS | ★★★★ | July 2022
