Radiohead lyrics add a modern twist to fast-paced production of Macbeth

Second Age, Ireland’s award winning classics theatre company, comes to the Town Hall Theatre next week with Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most powerful and bloodiest plays. It will be staged at the venue for three performances from Tuesday, March 13 to Thursday, March 15.  

The touring production promises to be a fast-paced thriller, with a sumptuous design, music from the likes of Radiohead and high-octane physical performances from the cast which includes Galway actor Enda Kilroy, whose depiction of Banquo was singled out for praise by Irish Theatre Magazine in its review of Macbeth when it was staged in Dublin.

The play, one of the greatest tragedies ever written, is directed by David Horan, whose most recent Second Age production, Dancing at Lughnasa, was described by The Irish Times as ‘the best show in town’.

David Horan has been making considerable waves in the theatre world recently. Other previous credits include Tall Tales Theatre Company’s production of Moment, which was one of the stage hits of 2011, touring both nationally and to London’s Bush Theatre. He has been nominated for an IFTA award for his writing on the The Importance of Being Whatever for RTÉ.

David has assembled an exciting cast for Macbeth. As well as Enda Kilroy, it includes Will Irvine as Macbeth, and Maeve Fitzgerald as Lady Macbeth. Maeve has previously won both Absolut Fringe Festival’s Best Actress award and Best Supporting Actress in the Irish Times Theatre Awards. She has also been nominated for numerous awards including Best Actress in the Irish Times Theatre Awards and Best Supporting Actress in the Off West End Awards.

Damian Kearney who plays the Porter was recently on tv screens in the hit RTÉ show, Love/Hate and in Ken Loach’s film The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Marie Ruane, who is in the role of Lady Macduff played Rose in the recent series of RTÉ’s Raw. Karl Quinn in the role of Macduff.

The cast of 11 in this Second Age production means there are some doubling up for some roles but David has been creative in his approach, with the play’s famous witches being played by men played by men as dead soldiers.

The production’s design team is also a multi-award winning team with Maree Kearns, a previous Irish Times Best Set Design winner, being responsible for both set and costumes and Sineád McKenna designing the lights.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.