"A masterpiece"…"The best Shakespearean production I have ever seen"…"A performance of extraordinary intensity"…"Stunning." These are some of the British comments. And Michael Mullin of the University of Illinois, writing in Shakespeare Quarterly, called it a "benchmark in the play's theatre history."

Where other productions have failed by turning the play into a horror show, a history play, or a modern psychodrama, this Macbeth succeeds through a rare combination of intellectual, artistic, and directorial insight. The production contravenes realism, and thereby confirms the play's unreal, supernatural mystery; stylized ritual evokes powerful emotional and spiritual realities. The form of the play itself is heightened by the medium of film: asides, for example, are spoken directly to the viewer.

Here, then, is Macbeth performed as only the Royal Shakespeare Company can perform it, with the kind of ensemble playing and unified style that Shakespeare's own theatrical company must have had, with brilliant performances in the least as well as in the major parts—a dramatic triumph and a genuine teaching aid. (2 hours 30 minutes)

Macbeth.......................................Ian Mckellen

Lady Macbeth...............................Judi Dench

Malcolm..........................................Roger Rees

Macduff..............................................Bob Peck

Duncan.....................................Griffith Jones

Banquo....................................John Woodvine

Directed by Trevor Nunn