New International Encounter (NIE) are an award-winning international theatre company responsible for creating spellbinding shows through a mix of physical theatre, live music and storytelling for over two decades.The company’s mission statement is ‘playful stories that connect us all’; their aim is to create new theatre shoes and engaging participation projects for and with young people. As a charity, they deliver projects with children who experience barriers to accessing creative and cultural opportunities.
NIE’s ‘Shakespeare in a Suitcase’ productions take great stories and relay them in under an hour, with three actor/musicians, and the contents of a single suitcase. Their production of Macbeth is no exception: they have distilled the essence of one of Shakespeare’s most well known stories of ambition, betrayal, revenge and fate in a way that is fully accessible to children.
The trio of actors (Valentina Ceschi, Greg Hall, and Abayomi Oniyide) along with some commendable assistance from the audience, bring the story of Macbeth to life, using a combination of Shakespearean verse and contemporary language (and references) to make the original story clear and easy to follow. Cast members occasionally turn to the audience to ask for advice: what should Macbeth do when he is tempted by power and riches, for example? Should his burning ambition override his moral compass?Occasional recaps are peppered throughout the play to help reinforce the plot and to remind them about the interrelationship between characters (which is often complicated for younger audiences to grasp). It is perfectly pitched at its target audience of 8+, but I think it could be enjoyed by slightly younger children too. I took my two daughters, who are seven and five, so just below the recommended age guidance, and they both enjoyed the show enormously, particularly the participatory elements.
The show is punctuated effectively by an original soundtrack, live music and sound effects. The cast and production team, under the directorship of Michael Judge, produce comedy, tragedy, fast-paced action, and, at times, terrifying power.
Despite the minimal set and limited assortment of props (a silk sheet is deployed in an astonishing array of different contexts), the show is a fantastic way of introducing Shakespeare to new young audiences and to highlight the enduring nature of the themes that pervade the play to audiences already familiar with it.
Macbeth was performed at the Polka Theatre from 3-7 October
Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB
Box office 020 8543 4888
https://nie-theatre.com/productions/macbeth/
