Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival’s 34th Season continues in Sen̓ákw/Vanier Park with Goblin:Macbeth on the Howard Family Stage from August 19th to September 17th.
Directed by Rebecca Northan, Goblin:Macbeth is a theatre event like no other, inviting audiences on a 90 minute theatrical rollercoaster ride hosted by three rogue Goblins who bring mayhem and wickedness to the Howard Family Stage.
When three Goblins come across a copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, they are intrigued by a writer who clearly knows his witches, faeries, goblins and monsters. They decide to co-opt a theatre space and cajole an audience into participating in their first attempt at “doing theatre”. They choose Macbeth because it’s short…and has lots of blood! Get set for a unique experience with this mischievously interactive production.
“I have a profound love of words, as well as a background in mask work, improvisation and misbehaviour, so the idea of Goblins doing Shakespeare seemed obvious to me,” says director and co-creator Rebecca Northan.
“To the Goblins, Macbeth is not Shakespeare’s most unsettling and cursed play – they already come from a world where fairies, ghosts, witches and magic are pedestrian. Our Goblins are able to push past all that phantasmagoria to highlight a humour that is so often glossed over in human productions that favour a macabre atmosphere. Our Goblins reveal that to pair tragedy with humour, as Shakespeare intended, is a profoundly human impulse that highlights the horror, while allowing us to bear it. I actively discourage you from seeking out the identity of our players. Let the Goblins work their magic on you; let the play hit you in new ways.”
Ticket prices for all regular play performances start at $30 and are available now. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance.
The full performance schedule and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559.
Last modified: July 24, 2023
