What happens when you throw a 'Stalin-esque' setting together with some of the best actors in New Zealand and the immortal bard? 

The latest version of Macbeth being performed at the Court Theatre. 10ARG was lucky enough to go along late on the night of the 23rd of March. With Mark Hadlow cast as Macbeth, the class was expecting a solid performance and it definitely lived up to our expectations. Not all of us were familiar with the historic play so it was a great opportunity to get to know the famous story better. The old English was a stark contrast to what we are used to hearing, this along with a few lines of shaky delivery meant that in order to keep up, we had to concentrate. Aside from a few stutters, the performance was generally good. As a class we enjoyed the character of Lady Macbeth, outstandingly played by Lara MacGregor. Throughout the play she was a dominant figure on the stage, doing a great job of keeping our attention.

Even with the great performance, for some, intermission was their favourite part. The theatre had a great snack bar, with the favourite of the night being Kit Kats. The twenty minute break was an opportunity to catch up on the story line, as a few of us were in dire need of clarification. With that all settled we entered the theatre, food in hand, anticipating an excellent final act of the play.

The second half brought with it a big surprise in the form of the shooting of Macduff’s son. Many were confused as to how the stunt was pulled. Some theorising it was a paintball, others a little more sceptical. A second surprise came with the fatal stabbing of Macbeth followed by the repeated bashing of his head with a lead pipe; an interesting ending to an interesting production.