MACBETH
Ideally suited for Years 9, 10 or 11
Performance length: approx. 70 minutes plus 20 minute workshop
Audience number: approximately 150
Venue: ideally school hall with a performance space of 7m x 7m
Our thanks to Haven High Academy, Boston, for hosting our Rehearsals in Residence for this season.
Touring Nov 2026-May 2027
The Performance
The darkness and danger of Shakespeareโs vision of early medieval Scotland are brought vividly and terrifyingly to life as Macbethโs slaughter of Duncan sets him on the path to destruction. Fight scenes and murders are intense, music and lighting heighten both the mood and emotional torment, while the combination of faithfulness to Shakespeareโs text combining with contemporary dialogue and audience interaction adds clarity and injects excitement.
Post-Performance Workshop
After sharing their initial thoughts about the performance, the audience members are encouraged to consider the character or characters they feel most responsible for the tragic deaths that occur in the play and a vote is taken. Student volunteers are then invited to learn moves from Macbethโs duel with Macduff, taught by the actors who are professionally trained in stage combat. The student pairs will then be able to demonstrate their newly acquired skills, reinforced by key quotes from the play, to their peers before a final audience poll is taken on where responsibility ultimately lies.
Space Requirements
Ideally a main school assembly hall, theatre or drama hall. We prefer not to perform in a school gym or sports hall owing to the potentially poor acoustics. We need at least 4m height clearance over the performance space.ย We need a performance space that is at least 7m x 7m with two power points available.ย We require access to the space 90 minutes before and 60 minutes after the performance to set up and take down the equipment.ย ย The performance is directed and designed to be performed โin the roundโ with students seated on 4 sides of the performance space, though we can accommodate other layouts if necessary.ย
Gallery
THE COMPANY
MICHAEL WICHEREK | ADAPTATIONย
IQBAL KHAN | DIRECTORย
ELLA MCKEOWN | ASSISTANT DIRECTORย
YUMU LIN | COSTUME DESIGNERย
IZZY MARRITT | ASSISTANT TO THE COSTUME DESIGNERย
PIP THURLOW | PRODUCTION MANAGERย
MICHAEL SHORT | SET BUILDย
AMY MOORE | REHEARSAL STAGE MANAGER
Alexander Makar
Alexander Makar studied Acting (BA Hons) at Arts University Bournemouth, graduating with a singular lead role in director Iqbal Khan's Imaam Imraan (National Youth Theatre / Bradford Literature Festival). He recently completed an MFA in Acting at LAMDA after being awarded The Carne Scholarship.
Recent credits include Twenty Twenty Six (BBC), Don't Look Now (New Wolsey Theatre/Wiltshire Creative), Primary Playwright (Soho Theatre), Total War: Pharaoh (Creative Assembly, voice-over), and You Bury Me (National Theatre, R&D).
Alongside acting, he writes, directs and edits his own comedic sketches, and is developing his work as a film editor on short films.
Carys Clempner
Carys Clempner is a 2025 BA Acting graduate from Rose Bruford College. Since graduating, she has toured professionally with the Young Shakespeare Company, including performances in Gibraltar and recently starred in the upcoming comedy web series Fruity. She has always had a particular affinity for Shakespeare and is happiest getting stuck into its rich language and complex characters.
Alongside acting, Carys is a qualified yoga teacher and enjoys bringing movement into her creative practice. She is delighted to be joining Box Clever Theatre.
John Palourti
John is an actor, physical theatre and circus performer from South East London. He Studied European Theatre Arts at Rose Bruford College and went on to train in circus and has a passion for storytelling using both movement and text. John has yet to meet William Shakespeare but has been a long time admirer of his work.
IQBAL KHAN | DIRECTOR
Iqbal Khan is a visionary theatre director celebrated for his transformative stagings of classic and contemporary narratives. As Associate Director at Birmingham Rep and Associate Artist of Box Clever, he has been behind bold revivals like Animal Farm at the Octagon Theatre and Tara Artsโ Silence.
He also directed Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith in 2025 and most recently led the spectacular Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, an ambitious multi arts production featuring 2,500 performers and the iconic mechanical bull.
Iqbal blends poetic realism with cultural resonance, bringing powerful, thought provoking theatre into schools and across communities. He is thrilled to spark conversations and make theatre pulse with relevance, especially for younger audiences.
lla McKeown | Assistant Director
Ella is an autistic director and theatre maker from South East London, making work across new writing and revivals. She is artistic director of Ricochet Theatre, an award-wining new writing theatre company that exists to make the new writing process less lonely. She has directed at venues such as Greenwich Theatre, Manchester Contact Theatre, Exeter Northcott, Park Theatre and Alphabetti Theatre. Her work has been shortlisted for Underbelly Untapped, Brixton Housemates Festival, and twice for Pleasance Theatre Charlie Hartill Award.
Alongside directing she produces for Emergency Exit Arts, is a script reader for various venues and awards including the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting and facilitates for Create, Unicorn Theatre and Burnt Orange Theatre Company.
Yumu Lin | Costume Designer
YUMU LIN (MOON) is a London-based Costume Designer and is delighted to be returning to Box Clever as Costume Designer for a second season.
Moonย holds an MA in Design for Performance from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where he graduated in 2025, and previously studied Fashion Design at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University. His work spans theatre, opera, musicals, film and television, with experience as a Costume Designer, Supervisor, Maker and Dresser.
His recent work includes costume design for productions such asย A Christmas Carol,ย Romeo & Juliet,ย Macbethย andย The Hate Play, as well as the musicalsย AI: Save Our Soulsย andย Mirror. His professional experience also includes work with organisations and productions including the Royal Opera House, Shakespeareโs Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC and Bad Wolf. Before moving into performance,ย Moonworked in Shanghai as an Assistant Fashion Designer with Feng Chen Wang, contributing to research, development and ready-to-wear design.
He is passionate about creating imaginative, character-driven costume designs and is excited to continue his collaboration with Box Clever.
Izzy Marritt | Assistant Costume Designer
Izzy is studying Costume with Textiles in Huddersfield and loves all things embroidery, creating texture and the design experimentation process. She is excited to join the Box Clever Team on her placement year as Assistant Costume Designer, and gain insight into the industry.
TESTIMONIES
A great modern-day interpretation with excellent audience participation. The students will have benefited from seeing the actors bringing it to life.
I loved it! I personally think that all schools should experience this. What I liked the most was how the actors used people from the audience in the story.
Heartfelt performances, professionalism and a joy to watch. Thank you.
I thought it was a better interpretation of โMacbethโ than any of the others Iโve seen as it made me think about what the play is saying.