Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma, two of Britain’s most accomplished actors, have opted to perform Shakespeare’s Macbeth in non-traditional venues rather than conventional theatres. Their immersive set, based in a Liverpool warehouse, features a wasteland of charred trees, rubble, and burned-out cars, reflecting the play’s contemporary setting. Audience members must first walk through the mock war zone before taking their seats in the temporary auditorium. The Depot, a Liverpool venue opened in 2021 by the city council to serve as a film and TV studio, has been transformed into a live theatre, where an audience of up to 900 people per night can watch the performance from now until Christmas.
As one of the UK’s most renowned Shakespearean actors, Fiennes has performed leading roles ranging from Romeo to Richard III. He has also appeared as Voldemort in Harry Potter and M in the last three James Bond films. In this production, he portrays the titular role of Macbeth. Varma, who plays Lady Macbeth, is well-known for her portrayal of Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones and has also won an Olivier Award for her work on stage.
Some theatre-goers may feel slightly uneasy when walking through the recreated war zone, particularly given the real-life horrors of recent conflicts. The play’s director, Simon Godwin, said that setting Macbeth in a contemporary war zone made it all the more poignant and complex.
Although the play’s themes of destructive ambition are timeless, Fiennes nonetheless drew parallels with current political leaders. He said that many politicians, even in stable democracies, had a “pulse towards grabbing power at whatever cost”, which he felt posed a danger to the world we live in
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