One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays will be performed in Castlemaine’s botanical gardens this weekend.
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Macbeth (or the Scottish play for superstitious thespians) will be performed by Melbourne-based theatre company Ozact with Bendigo’s Marie-Claire Tchernomoroff taking on the role of Lady Macbeth.
Tchernomoroff said her love of Shakespeare came from the the structure of the writing.
“I think it’s the perfect mix of poetry and theatre,” she said.
“I just love it the images in the text and being able to bring them to life.
“Macbeth is my all-time favourite play. It’s got everything you need like witches and the supernatural, murder, betrayal, sex jokes – everything.
“It is also a shorter tragedy for Shakespeare, only about two hours compared to Hamlet which is over four.”
Lady Macbeth was a role Tchernomoroff had long dreamed of playing.
“Since I can remember reading Shakespeare, playing Lady Macbeth was the end goal,” Tchernomoroff said.
“The power she wields over her husband is a power that comes from manipulation, not violence, which is very interesting.
”She is so much more than a super villain, she’s a very complex character.”
Tchernomoroff has played Lady Macbeth in modern adaptations of the Scottish play but never in a traditional sense.
“We did a modern adaptation in high school and Bendigo Theatre Company did Tom Stoppard’s fantastic Cahoots Macbeth,” she said.
“This is the first time I have come close to being age appropriate for the role.
“I have never been more nervous than I was on opening night.”
Ozact has already taken Macbeth to the Grampians, Ballarat, the Dandenongs and Williamstown, which was unfortunately rained out.
“It looked good in Williamstown with the thunder and lightning but we had to stop,” Tchernomoroff said.
Ozact performs Macbeth at the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens on April 22 and 23 at 3pm. Patrons should bring a cushion.
Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for children. Head to www.ozact.com for bookings.