Live. Virtual. Immersive. On Zoom. October 2020.

Tradition requires that a ‘ghost-light’ be left on while the theatre is dark, to ward off restless ghosts and protect its magic from harm.

The lights are off, but the magic is not gone.

A closed theatre is a perfect playground for mischievous spirits intent on wreaking havoc. Three witches usher, stage manage and execute the tragedy of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, two innocents trapped in a Truman-esque reality which is both virtual and brutal.

This is an imaginative reboot of Shakespeare’s timeless, blood-soaked tale of murder, lust and power in a world where reality and illusion are hard to tell apart; a hinterland of hype where fate is twisted, control is remote and comfort is in entirely another zone. 

A true theatrical experience performed live on Zoom – with the audience privy to every dilemma and dark corner of this classic text, watching from their own devices, part of the world, silent witnesses.   

Shakespeare doesn’t get more up close and personal than this. 

Fully immersive, and loaded with technology, this show has great appeal for a wide audience – ages 14+ and is specifically designed for this socially distanced world. Its interactive nature requires it to be experienced through individual laptops/computers.

Macbeth will open at the Belfast International Arts Festival 2020 in the week beginning 12^thOctober and will be a theatrical digital highlight of the programme before being virtually transferred to Oxford as a co-production with Creation Theatre Company for a further two week run until 31^stOctober.

Through its immersive games, the success of last year’s BIAF production of Worst Cafe in the World, Big Telly has carved out a reputation for engaging immersive experiences.

More recently since lockdown, the company has become a world leader in live digital theatre – selling out ‘Operation Elsewhere’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg4GT6MK1Cg, E.M Forster’s ‘The Machine Stops’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh7w8FrBOPA and ‘The Tempest’ across 13 countries, and gaining critical success in national and international press.

Reviews:

CNN – https://edition.cnn.com/style/amp/theaters-uk-pandemic-diversity/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

GUARDIAN– https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/apr/12/the-tempest-review-interactive-online-zoom

BBC ARTS – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-52619188