The Tragedy of Macbeth

Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, and tells the story of a brave Scottish general named Macbeth who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders King Duncan and takes the throne for himself. He is then wracked with guilt and paranoia, and he soon becomes a tyrannical ruler as he is forced to commit more and more murders to protect himself from enmity and suspicion. The bloodbath and consequent civil war swiftly take Macbeth and Lady Macbeth into the realms of arrogance, madness and death.

A modern couple makes a dream in which they enter into the universe of Macbeth in a buried past of ancient China, assuming the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and encountering the different characters in the play. Upon on getting out of the dream where the dark side of humanity is experienced, the couple begins to contemplate their possible place in this contemporary realm of turbulence.

Inspired by the tradition of Asian physical theatre, this version of Macbeth transmits the spirit of the play through a succession of stylised images, where body expression, physical movements and live accompaniment expose the characters' relationship as well as the director's vision of time and space.

In order to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Shakespeare, the Shakespeare’s Globe joined hands with the Hong Kong Arts Festival to commission Tang Shu-wing to do a new interpretation of Macbeth, the Bard’s darkest and most shocking tragedy. It was premiered at the Globe in 2015, followed by a rerun in the 2016 Hong Kong Arts Festival.

In the summer of 2017, we are invited to perform in the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (Romania), Neuss International Shakespeare Festival (Germany) and Itaka Shakespeare Festival (Serbia). As this year also marked the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong to China, the Economic and Trade Office of Hong Kong in Berlin invited us to perform in Berlin, Vienna and Warsaw, henceforth making a six city European tour of Macbeth.

In this touring version, Tang Shu-wing made a new creative challenge: the actor Andy Ng who plays Macbeth in the first half will play Lady Macbeth in the second half and vice versa for the actress Lai Yuk-ching. This treatment arouses great interest and appreciation among professionals and audience alike.

16 June - 2 July 2017

Goga Gym Hall, Sibiu, Romania*

Globe Neuss, Neuss, Germany*

Admiralspalast Berlin, Germany

Hall G Museums Quartier, Vienna, Austria

ATM Studio, Warsaw, Poland

Villa Stanković Cortanovci, Inđija, Serbia*

*Supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Playwright: William Shakespeare

Translation: Rupert Chan

Adaptation/ Director: Tang Shu-wing

Cast: Ng Wai-shek, Lai Yuk-ching, Lam Pui-lim, Yuen Fu-wah, Leung Ho-pong, Wong Siu-fai, Wong Chun-tat, Chan Kin-ho, Chan Charm-man Peter, Wong Kwok-kei, Poon Chun-ho, Wong Chun-him, Pang Ngan-ling, To Chun-yiu

Musician: Leung Wai-ngok

Past Performances of MACBETH-

16-20 March 2016 (Hong Kong Arts Festival)

Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Pl, Hong Kong

17-23 August 2015*

Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London

*Supported by the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

“Tang Shu-wing’s staging has a pleasing simplicity and uses dynamic vivid imagery to deliver the story.”



Financial Times

“This is by far the best Macbeth I have ever seen.”



Gu HaoHao, Director of ShangHai Kunqu Opera Troupe

“Tang Shu-wing’s Macbeth transcends a singular interpretation or “method” of performing Shakespeare. ”



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