Two actors from Staffordshire will take roles in the Stafford Festival Shakespeare production of Macbeth at Stafford Castle.
Lyle Mitchell from the Cheslyn Hay area, who trained at Birmingham Theatre School, will play young Siward and Fleance while Ryan Edwards, a recent drama graduate of Staffordshire University, will take the role of young Macduff.
Mitchell said, “I’ve seen Shakespeare at the castle a couple of times now and have been impressed with the sheer size, quality and beauty of the shows. To be a part of that is amazing.”
Edwards said, “Macbeth is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays and for this to be my first professional role coming out of university is a real privilege.”
The roles of the Macduff family will be filled by four members of Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre: Isabella Paddock, 9, a pupil at St Thomas More primary school, Great Wyrley; 10-year-old Hope Bennett of St Anne’s primary school, Stafford; Alexa Munday, 9, who attends St Patrick’s, Stafford; and 8-year-old Katy Boughey of St Giles, Houghton.
Stafford Festival Shakespeare spokesman Tom Waldron said, “it’s a real privilege to be able to call on such talented performers from the local area to perform in this year’s production.”
Macbeth runs from Thursday 28 June until Saturday 14 July.