The Poster – Programme

Macbeth (Neil Hardinge) welcomes King Duncan (Martin Wellen)

Lady Macbeth (Karina Farnlucher) offers Macbeth the dagger (which he "sees before him") to kill the king

Macbeth has done the dirty deed, but still has the dagger

A servant (Jill Turner) brings Lady Macbeth the king's crown, which she puts on herself
"Anyone for a Coronation?"

Donald (Jo Smith) and Malcolm (James Stefanaras) witness the scene, and think it 'a bit dodgy'.

Macbeth sees Duncan's ghost. "The party's over".

Dr Witchovski (Mel White) tells Macbeth not to vorry as:
"No harm vill come to you as long as Burnham Vood stands still. And, only man not born of voman can hurt you."

Enter MacDuff (Rod Sharp) with Malcolm: "Of course you’d make a great king, Malcolm.
You talk posh, you don’t smell too much, and you’ve got a terrific wave."

Another servant (Jo Levy) tells MacDuff that his wife and kids have been savagely slaughtered by Macbeth’s men.
"Rats! That’s really got my gander. I’ll kill that man if it’s the last thing I do."

MacDuff tells Macbeth that his nickname’s Caesarian.

Malcolm is declared king, and does indeed have a terrific wave.

The cast of Macbeth take a bow.

On comes Angela Berry to give the first of her Medieval Remedies.

Jo Levy gave us a couple of tunes on the recorder …

… and the madrigal group (not all of them here at Dress Rehearsal) sang a couple of songs …

… before James, Annaliese, Rod and Martin gave us the Upstart Crow sketch
about 'Shaky' writing The Taming of the Shrew.

On performance nights, Chris (here) and Clare gave us their song "Son Set" before the first interval arrived.

Angela introduces the tale

Jo Smith plays the strutting cock, Chaunticleer, complete with electric blue tights …

… while Dil Williamson-Smith played Pertelote, the idol of his life here on the perch with him.

The other chickens admire Chaunticleer's strutting (and why would they not?)

Then along comes Reynard the Fox (Neil Hardinge) to spoil the show.

In the melée that follows, Widow Gwen (Karina Farnlucher) ends up 'on her arse'!

The chase is to no avail – the Fox has caught the Cock.

But, as everyone knows who has read their Canterbury Tales, the wily cock escapes by persuading the fox to 'open his gob'.
So, all's well that ends well, and the cast take their bow.

Elizabeth Heggart gave us a couple of poems of the period – and, on the performance nights, Deb Williamson gave us a song here too.

For her final medieval cure, Angela needed a prop which Jo is handing to her – it's a turnip, or is it a swede?
Whatever, she tells us it's a sure cure for hunger in 2023!

And, as is traditional, we end with Puck's speech, delivered this year by Annaliese Farnlucher.

Jo as Chauntecleer amid his harem of chicks – and Neil as the Fox in attendance

Neil as Reynard the Fox

Dil as Pertelote