It’s that time of year again, when the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne transforms into something almost otherworldly. The swaying trees, silhouetted against washes of glowing yellow and witchy neon, make it a fitting stand-in for the mist-drenched Scottish Highlands of Macbeth. The Australian Shakespeare Company’s annual Shakespeare Under the Stars series has become a well-oiled tradition, drawing audiences with its signature blend of picnic-style theatre and immersive staging. This year’s production, under the direction of Glenn Elston OAM (whose repertoire spans much of Shakespeare’s works), embraces the play’s supernatural and psychological undercurrents while keeping things simple.
The set design is minimal – a two-storey rotating castle – an effect that risks theatrical gimmickry but, when shrouded in the fog rolling off the gardens, takes on an eerie realism. There’s also a simple outdoor banquet table. It’s actually the details – like the drifting fog and, most notably, Paul Norton’s musical direction – that deepen the experience, whether in the clang of battle or the revelry of court festivities.
Karla Erenbot’s costume design reinforces this immersive, period-appropriate atmosphere. The ensemble is clad in medieval leathers, woollen cloaks and textured layers, giving an organic, timeworn authenticity rather than the polished grandeur that sometimes accompanies Shakespearean stagings.
In this iteration, the narrative remains largely faithful to the text, avoiding modern reimaginings or heavy conceptual frameworks. The production opens with the three witches – bearded and cloaked in feathers and fur – moving through the audience’s central aisle before arriving at the stage.
Returning from battle, Macbeth (Hugh Sexton) and Banquo (Johnny Light) encounter the witches, who greet him with the prophecy that will eventually lead to his downfall: that he will be the future King of Scotland. Sexton’s Macbeth is, at first, measured – brooding and introspective, a man not entirely convinced of his own potential for tyranny. Opposite him, Nicole Nabout’s Lady Macbeth is magnetic, balancing seduction and steely determination. She carries the necessary venom for the role, though, perhaps due to the streamlined script, her arc moves at an accelerated pace.
As the play progresses, Macbeth’s grip on power tightens and his descent into paranoia deepens. He orders the murders of those who stand in his way, including the loyal Banquo. The atmosphere visibly darkens. One particularly nightmarish moment is the infamous banquet scene, where the ghost of Banquo (Johnny Light) materialises, his bloody visage a haunting counterpoint to Macbeth’s unravelling psyche.
It is a moment of near-cinematic quality, executed with enough restraint to avoid melodrama while still delivering the necessary shock. Moments like this reminded this reviewer of the breadth of talent in this ensemble, from Jackson McGovern’s Macduff, who seethes with red-faced fury, to Anna Burgess’ commanding performance as Malcolm.
After the intermission, the witches return, concocting their brew onstage. By now, Sexton’s Macbeth is in freefall; he’s committed to bloodshed as a means of self-preservation. The second half is all action, with swift, brutal efficiency from Elston’s direction. The battles are bloody and expertly choreographed. Swords clash in the dimly lit expanse of the Gardens, and Macbeth’s final confrontation with Macduff is clap worthy.
Beyond the play itself, the experience of watching Shakespeare al fresco is something special. Picnicking on the grass, sipping wine under the stars and exchanging murmured theories about the production’s choices during intermission all lend a sense of communal engagement, a reminder that theatre – even when tackling the bleakest of human ambitions – is ultimately a shared experience.
Read: Exhibition review: Bruce Reynolds and Hiroe and Cornel Swen, Canberra Museum and Gallery
If there are moments when the production feels hurried – particularly in the latter half, where the adaptation truncates certain passages in favour of relentless action – this is largely offset by the sheer energy of the cast and the atmospheric setting. The Australian Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. Embracing the play’s elemental themes of unchecked ambition and moral decay, it delivers a gripping, if frenzied, take on a tragedy that still draws a crowd.
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Australian Shakespeare Company
Director: Glen Elston
Musical Director: Paul Norton
Costume Design: Karla Erenbots
Production Manager: Peter Amesbury
Stage Manager: Sophie Walter
Sound Operator: Will Leslie
Site Manager: Kelly Harris
Construction Manager: Dave Angelico
Costume and Props Coordinator: Kaspa Elston
Production Photography: Ben Fon
Cast: Hugh Sexton, Nicole Nabout, Maddie Somers, Elizabeth Brennan, Johnny Light, Callum O’Malley, Dion Mills, Kevin Hopkins, Jackson McGovern, Eleanor Timms, Anna Burgess, Claire Duncan, Larissa Teale, Luke Lennox, Alex Cooper, Tony Rive, Henny Walters, Scott Middleton
Mabeth will be performed until 28 February 2025.
