Macbeth at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Macbeth

Shakespeare Theatre Company
1301 W St NE Washington

Blood will have blood. Unbridled ambition, supernatural forces, and murderous desires reign supreme in Shakespeare's most poetic examination of evil. When three witches tell Macbeth that he will become King of Scotland, he plots with his wife to attain the title through an assassination; a bloody act that gives him his crown and sends him careening down the path of his own undoing. Artistic Director Simon Godwin directs Tony and BAFTA Award-winner Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) and Olivier Award-winner Indira Varma (Game of Thrones) in this thrilling account of how our minds deceive us and how a guilty conscience can undo us all.

Thru - May 5, 2024

Fri, May 3: 8:00pm

Sat, May 4: 2:00pm & 8:00pm

Sun, May 5: 2:00pm

Show Type: Drama

www.shakespearetheatre.org/events/macbeth-23-24/

Macbeth Reviews

Average Rating based on 7 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

"...This version of "Macbeth," running through May 5 (after earlier productions in London and Edinburgh), is directed with finesse by Shakespeare Theatre Company's artistic director Simon Godwin. It takes place in a hangar-like sound stage in Washington's Brentwood neighborhood, and transposes the setting from 11th-century Scotland to our contemporary world."

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- Rhoda Feng

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"..."Blood will have blood," soldier-cum-murderer Macbeth asserts midway through the play that bears his name. This sad, time-honored truth about the cyclical nature of violence lies at the heart of Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy and of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's stellar new production - adapted by Emily Burns and brought over from the UK - starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma. There is unusual star power here, to be sure, but STC Artistic Director Simon Godwin and a remarkable cast breathe new, humanizing life into this familiar tale about the dehumanizing effects of repeated violence."

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- Deryl Davis

MetroWeekly - Highly Recommended

"...In a genius move at the behest of both director Simon Godwin and Ralph Fiennes, the drama of the Shakespeare Theatre Company's Macbeth starts long before the action. A first view of the production's Brentwood venue - a giant warehouse with an imposing "M" over its gaping maw and a few huge satellite dishes aimed at the heavens - and you know you're not in Kansas anymore."

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- Kate Wingfield

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

"...The Shakespeare Theatre Company's astonishing production of Macbeth demonstrates how lucky the Washington area is to have Simon Godwin as the company's artistic director. Not only does this production feature internationally known actors Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma in the central roles, but the current run is probably its only one in the U.S., following earlier stagings in London, Edinburgh, and Liverpool."

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- Susan Berlin

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

"...Ben Turner's Macduff is a worthy adversary to this cursed pair. The actor's sturdy humility is a solid counterweight to the wicked couple's mania, particularly in the impossible scene wherein he is informed his wife and children have been slain. Is the guy who brings an end to Macbeth's brief and bloody reign a hero? I'm not sure, but he does his duty with clarity and competence. Godwin, Fiennes, and Varma do, too. This Macbeth may be less radical than we were promised, but it's as bloody, bold, and resolute as you'd hope."

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- Chris Klimek

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...It is not only the brilliance of the actors who convey the sometimes impenetrable language of Shakespeare in such a natural and accessible manner, but the astonishing talent of the creative team and the herculean efforts of the crew and STC staff that makes this an extraordinary theatrical experience."

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- Lynne Menefee

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...STC's Macbeth highlights brutal pairs: war and domestic life, grief and humor, brief words and permanent consequences. While the setting could feel unassuming-indeed, audiences must make their way through the parking lot of a Home Depot when arriving via metro-it also shows how extravagant it is to create a theatre space from scratch. This over-the-top, hollowed-out aesthetic fits the world of the play, where titles and status belie a fear of impermanence. Combined with raw, vulnerable performances, this is a powerful take on the timeless tragedy."

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- Dara Homer

Macbeth at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Macbeth

Macbeth Reviews

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

MetroWeekly - Highly Recommended

Talkin Broadway - Highly Recommended

Washington City Paper - Highly Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

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