Roxana Silbert’s production of David Grieg’s Dunsinane will be the second production in the main auditorium at Birmingham REP.
This “sequel” to Macbeth is co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
It was originally produced in 2010. In this revival, Siobhan Redmond again plays Lady Macbeth and Jonny Phillips reprises the role of English commander Siward.
Roxana Silbert, director of Dunsinane and artistic director of The REP, said, “Dunsinane is a brilliant play by a brilliant writer because it works on a myriad of levels.
“It begins at the point where Shakespeare’s great tragedy Macbeth ends. Set in the 11th century, it tells the historically true story of Scotland through the relationship between Lady Macbeth who didn’t die and Siward—a character with two lines in Shakespeare’s play.
“Yet it’s also a love story and a vitally contemporary play about war and about the cost of war on young men. It’s poetic, funny and searingly honest.”
Dunsinane explains how, under cover of night, an English army has swept through the landscape, killed Macbeth and taken the seat of power.
Attempting to restore peace and put in place a new ruler, Siward faces a brutal guerrilla uprising.
Increasingly isolated from his own men and Scottish allies alike, he finds that his efforts to restore order appear futile.
The cast also comprises George Brockbanks, Helen Darbyshire, Tom Gill, Sandy Grierson, Lewis Howden, Joshua Jenkins, Tony McGeever, Alex Mann, Mairi Morrison and Daniel Rose.
The creative team includes Luke Kernaghan (associate director), Anna Morrissey (movement director), Polly Bennett (associate movement director), Robert Innes Hopkins (designer), Nick Powell (composer and sound designer), Chahine Yavroyan (lighting designer), Terry King (fight director), Stephen Kemble (voice coach), Ruth Cooper-Brown (archery consultant), Danny Short (musical director and guitarist), Robert Owen (percussion) and Jessica Cox (cello).
Dunsinane, which is on a national tour, visits Birmingham REP from Tuesday until Saturday (24 to 28 September).