Film & Theatre, Reviews | Posted on April 23rd, 2025 | return to news
Macbeth
Most Rare Vision, Bournemouth Little Theatre
Review by Jecs Davies
The moment you take your seat at the Bournemouth Little Theatre, you will be greeted with a stage lit blood red, sounds resembling echoes from the woods and a sense of apprehension. This production is not for the faint-hearted.
Theatre company Most Rare Vision has brought their version of the Shakespeare classic to Bournemouth for a limited time.
The tragedy of Macbeth follows a Scottish thane and his wife’s descent into tyranny after receiving a prophecy from witches.
With two actors playing over 20 characters, the play offers a spectacle of talent, clever choreography and storytelling that will make you shudder.
Ant Henson plays a convincingly ambitious yet erratic Macbeth and further key characters like the vulnerable King Duncan and his son Malcolm.
Martha Ibbotson portrays the cunning and manipulative Lady Macbeth excellently, as well as other roles such as Banquo and Macduff.
The stagecraft is expertly carried out by the team’s ‘tech wizard’ John Willmott, who transports the characters into different settings simply through lighting and sound.
The transitions between roles are also made seamless through the actors’ impressive use of accents, body language and props.
My personal favourite part of the show was Martha’s portrayal of the witches in Act 4, moving across the stage almost like a contortionist. This, accompanied by intense eye contact with the audience, was certainly supernatural and unnerving.
Henson, actor and artistic director of the play, is from Bournemouth and began his acting journey in local theatres such as Bournemouth Little Theatre Club and Brownsea Open Air Theatre. He also runs Shakespeare Open Mic nights in Bournemouth, so being able to perform his version of ‘Macbeth’ is an exciting venture for him.
The play will be running in the Bournemouth Little Theatre until Friday 25 April before moving to London, so catch it while you can.
Tickets are available at: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bournemouth/bournemouth-little-theatre/macbeth-by-william-shakespeare-a-most-rare-vision-production/e-oepaqj
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