Macbeth in Queens Park

The Shakespeare in Queens Park Festival production of Macbeth will be quite different to what was performed 400 years ago to Renaissance audiences, with many interpretive and aesthetic differences.

What you will see is Director, Scott Alderdice's vision of the play. It stays close to the original plot, addressing the ambition, manipulation, greed and a relentless thirst for power that drives the characters to their respective dooms.

Taking the Macbeth  script and re-interpreting it into something original for a Toowoomba audience in the unconventional setting of Queen's Park has been no easy task. Scott has given Shakespeare's classic a new gothic fantastical edge. The traditional setting of Scotland is transformed into a unique and magical kingdom, inhabited by creatures of the earth, wind and sea. The skeletal scaffolding which forms the backdrop for the play represents the kingdom's castle ruins. Only one thing remains; the power which is up for grabs.

The full intensity of Shakespeare's plot has been brought to vivid life using a myriad of modern-day technologies. Along with the spectacular visual aesthetic, Scott and the production team have incorporated audio visual elements, projecting images onto the set, surrounding trees and even the actors' costumes. Although centuries away from Shakespeare's original Globe Theatre, these technological revolutions only change the face of the play and help to emphasise the full genius of Shakespeare's plot for a contemporary audience.