The Tragedy of Macbeth, Almeida Theatre

Shakespeare’s murderous tragedy about a trio of witches, a prophecy and a couple whose ruthless ambition leads them to commit regicide is one of the most frequently adapted plays in the UK. But few productions come supercharged with a performance by a Hollywood leading lady. Saoirse Ronan (Ladybird, Little Women) is stepping into the blood-smeared, guilt-ridden shoes of Lady Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre this autumn, with James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, Angels in America) – who starred alongside Ronan in 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots – playing opposite as the titular Macbeth.

At the helm of the production is South African director Yaël Farber (Blood Wedding, Les Blancs). Calling the play by its rarely used full title The Tragedy of Macbeth, this new take on the story is pitched as an ‘elemental production about a world in transformation’. Excitingly, it promises to look at the story through a feminist lens – showing the couple in a more equal light than most adaptations, which typically paint Lady Macbeth as the chief villain.

The Tragedy of Macbeth will see Saoirse Ronan add new strings to her bow as a dark, ruthlessly ambitious murderess

The Tragedy of Macbeth marks quadruple Academy Award-nominee Saoirse Ronan’s UK stage debut. The Irish-American actress previously impressed on Broadway as the menacing Abigail Williams in Ivo van Hove’s production of The Crucible in 2016, in which she starred alongside Ben Whishaw and Sophie Okenedo.

Ronan has been a household name in the UK since her first major breakthrough role – aged just 13 – in Joe Wright's 2007 adaptation of Atonement. Fourteen years on, The Tragedy of Macbeth offers a rare opportunity to see Ronan perform live.

Tickets to The Tragedy of Macbeth go on sale in July 2021