Shakespeare took centre stage in Norwich Cathedral’s Cloister as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men returned for this year’s open-air celebration of the Bard. The Lord Chamberlain’s Men are a modern-day incarnation of Shakespeare’s own travelling troupe of players and this year they played two performances of Macbeth against the historic backdrop of the 900-year-old Cathedral.
Enthralling both nights’ audiences from start to finish, the company presented a gripping production of one of the great wordsmith’s most famous plays just as it would have been performed in Shakespeare’s day, with an all-male cast, full Elizabethan costumes and traditional music and dance.
A tale of supernatural magic, vaulting ambition and the perils of an insatiable lust for power, Macbeth puts the spotlight on one of Shakespeare’s most chilling couples. Emerging victorious and decorated in war, Macbeth receives a thrilling pronouncement from three weird sisters who prophesy he will one day be King of Scotland. Overcome by ambition and driven on by his powerful wife, Macbeth sets in motion a terrible sequence of events from which there is no turning back.
As well as performing to two sold-out audiences, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men were also greeted by some high-flying visitors as the Cathedral’s resident peregrine falcons swooped around the spire during the performances.