INTIMATE SPACE

The production was originally staged in The Other Place and the audience of under 200 sat on three sides of the acting space, two rows deep. They were so close to the actors that they could hear them whisper. Like the witches who prowled around the acting circle, the audience observed the prophesies unfold.

The actors adopted a naturalistic style and relied on the text to create the imagery. When the Macbeths were poised to murder Duncan, director Nunn placed several cast members around the auditorium and asked them to breathe heavily to create a gripping and terrifying atmosphere.

JOHN NAPIER'S DESIGNS

Napier's magic circle set emphasised the supernatural aspects of the play. His costumes were generally sombre, apart from Duncan and Macbeth's royal robes, so actors appeared to emerge from the darkness in an eerie manner.

In the galleries below you can see examples of John Napier's set design, prop diagrams and costumes worn by Ian McKellen and Judi Dench.

CROSS-CASTING CONFUSION

When Macbeth transferred to the Warehouse in London, Griffith Jones was playing Duncan but he was also Egeus in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Aldwych Theatre. Sometimes both plays were on the same evening, so he played the first scene of Dream, then walked up the road to the Warehouse to be 'killed' as Duncan, then walked back to the Aldywch for the last scene of Dream.