Macbeth Outdoor Theatre at Trentham Estate Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE PLAY WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

For many years, I’ve enjoyed reading and watching a range of Shakespeare plays – I even taught a few in my days of being an English teacher. So, when I was asked if I’d like to attend an outdoor performance of ‘The Scottish Play’, at the magnificent Trentham Estate in Staffordshire, I jumped at the chance!

Performed by The Duke’s Theatre Company, this version of Macbeth offers a ‘dynamic reimagining’ of this most famous of plays. Directed by Robert Shaw Cameron, designed by Jessica Curtis and with a cast of six top quality actors, the performance promised to explore the ‘psychological unravelling’ of the play’s characters. For those unfamiliar with the play, very reasonably priced souvenir brochures provided a useful synopsis. (Who knew – naked murderous ambition ends badly!)

Clear guidance on travel to Trentham Estate was provided on the Trentham website – along with information about seating arrangements, food and drink, accessibility and weather instructions. Arriving about 45 minutes before the performance began, my husband and I carried our picnic and deckchairs to the performance area – just less than half a mile from the carpark. Blessed by good weather the performance was a sell-out and the atmosphere was lovely; there was a real buzz of relaxed excitement in the crowd – punctuated by the occasional pop of a prosecco cork. We quickly settled in, unpacked our picnic and opened a beer. What’s not to like about outdoor theatre!

The location of the performance was extraordinary! Tucked beside the Trentham Estate chapel, with the remains of the once-great Trentham Hall behind us, the ruined, but Gothically-beautiful grand entrance provided a magnificent backdrop to the stage and the drama that would unfold. The multi-layered staging was raised up more than enough for the audience to get a good view of all the action. Simply and effectively designed by Jessica Curtis, the stage imaginatively used long red-painted poles that were moved skilfully around the stage by the cast, to hint at structures – conjuring up a military camp, a castle, a wood. As the evening drew in, the lighting (Ruth Harvey) really enhanced the set, casting long shadows of the actors onto the ruined Grand Entrance behind. There was one moment that really stood out: as Lady Macbeth (superbly played by Marilyn Nnadebe) called on the spirits to ‘unsex’ her – a crow settled ominously on one of the finials of the building behind her – providing a coincidental but powerful foreshadowing of the evil to come.

From the very beginning, the actors brought the story to life. It became apparent, from looking at the programme, that there had been a casting change on the night. We were very impressed that the actors were able to pick up alternative major parts and deliver them seamlessly, a testament to the versatility of the cast. The chemistry between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth was unmistakable. Passionate and edgy, we could feel the potential for disaster in their relationship. In addition, we were both very moved by the performance of the actor who played MacDuff. The scene where he was lamenting the murder of his much-loved wife and children bought a tear to my eye. The delivery of the phrase ‘pretty chickens’ was heart-breaking.

Other stand out performances were those of the witches. As night drew in around the stage, shadows lengthened, and bats flitted above our heads we were treated to a supernatural extravaganza. Costume (Jessica Curtis), lighting (Ruth Harvey) and sound (Robert Millett) all came together to support the cast to create a fantastical manifestation of the supernatural. In the production, all other actors’ costumes were black but in Act 4 Scene 1 the witches revealed themselves in scarlet nakedness. The actors wore satin body suits that hinted at medieval descriptions of witches’ bodies. Their movements were organic and disturbing. For us they were the visual highlight of the performance.

Actors moved fluidly and used every inch of the set. We particularly liked the way the boundary between some scenes was blurred; actors would still be retreating from one scene whilst others were emerging for the next. Even though there was no interaction between performers, a sense of flow between characters and events was created. The importance of movement was also significant in the well-choreographed fight scenes. Fight Director, Dani Mac did an amazing job in creating precise movements in a tight space. The climactic fight between Macbeth and Macduff was particularly exciting; Macbeth’s ambition and arrogance brought to nought by McDuff’s grief and love for his lost family.

Overall, we both had a really enjoyable evening. My husband had never seen a Shakespeare play before and had been concerned that the language would not be accessible. But as we chatted on the way home, he said that he had soon become accustomed to the rhythm, and found himself engrossed in the action. This is a testament to the delivery by the actors – making the language real and believable. The performance was made so much more by its surroundings. We loved the location and the atmosphere that it brought to the whole event. We’ll certainly be looking out for outdoor performances in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Dates: 24th and 25th August 2025

Running Time 2 hours

Tickets: Adult: £20, Children £18.50, Groups £15 each.

For further information: https://trentham.co.uk/events/macbeth-outdoor-theatre/