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CONTENTS

page TWO production image

page THREE BELT UP THEATRE’S ‘MACBETH’

page four BELT UP THEATRE’S ‘MACBETH’ continued

page five WORKSHOPS and PRIVATE PERFORMANCES

page six WORKSHOPS and PRIVATE PERFORMANCES continued

page SEVEN WORKSHOP DETAILS

page EIGHT WORKSHOP DETAILS continues

page NINE PRODUCTION image

page ten PRODUCTION image

page eleven AN INTERVIEW WITH… MACBETH

page twelve Production SHOT

page thirteen thoughts on belt up theatre

page fourteen Production images

page fifteen production image

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THE HIT PRODUCTION RETURNS TO LONDON FOR A LIMITED RUN One of the greatest stories ever told and a terrifying new vision...

A haunting experience from the inimitable Belt Up Theatre, whose work has taken the UK by storm and has

been hailed as a company ‘changing the future of British theatre’ (The Observer) and as ‘Fringe Royalty’

(Time Out London).

Allow the strangers your hand and follow as they lead you far below the streets of London into the tunnels,

vaults and cells of Middlesex Prison. There begin your passage; a nightmarish journey into the mind of one

of literature’s greatest serial killers.

Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy is mounted by a cast of four that breathe life into the Scottish King and the

three weird sisters who guide him on his path to self-destruction.

Locked away from daylight within a reputedly haunted labyrinth you will join Macbeth as he struggles

through delusions and paranoia in this relic of Victorian punishment, bricks built one upon the other with a

single purpose, preventing the demons inside from being unleashed.

A prison, a workhouse, a system of cells; this is the House of Detention, Clerkenwell.

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From the award winning company that over its three year existence has gathered a huge following for their

no holds barred deconstructions of classic stories comes a nightmarish journey into the mind of one of

literature’s greatest serial killers. This ambitious new production sees Shakespeare’s bloody tragedy

mounted by an all-male cast of four that breathe life into the Scottish King and the three weird sisters that

guide him on his path to self-destruction.

In Belt Up Theatre’s signature style, audiences will not get the opportunity to relax back into their seats,

instead they will be led through the reputedly haunted labyrinth of the House of Detention Clerkenwell...

Belt Up Theatre was set up in 2008 by Dominic J Allen, Jethro Compton, James Wilkes and Alexander

Wright. They debuted to critical acclaim with an interactive production of ‘Metamorphosis’ in 2008 before

winning the Edinburgh International Festival award for their project ‘The Red Room’ that year. The

company are based in York where they are now resident company at the York Theatre Royal. Belt Up is

committed to producing fearless, adventurous and playful work that places its audience at the centre of

the wholly encompassing world of the production.

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Workshops and private performances Private Viewing Deals, Group Booking & Educational Discounts apply to A Level, IB and GCSE Groups.

After-show platforms can be arranged with the cast in advance, subject to availability.

The show is a brilliant opportunity for the following Key Assessment Objectives of several A Level and GCSE courses:

• An example of site-specific, promenade theatre.

• A page-to-stage example of pre-1800s classic literature.

• A juxtaposition to conventional productions of Macbeth retaining the original language and context.

In addition to seeing the show, the following workshops are available both onsite and offsite. We are able to focus

workshops on syllabus specific assessment objectives dependent on relevant subjects and units (See Workshop

Details).

Workshop 1: English Literature & Drama for GCSE

Relevant Courses:

English Literature

OCR Linked Heritage,

AQA Literature Unit 3

Edexcel Unit 2: The Writer's Craft

Drama & Theatre Studies

Edexcel Unit 2: Exploring Play Texts

OCR Unit A581: From Page to Stage

Unit A582: Drama in the Making

Workshop Size: up to 70 pupils and up to 5 teachers

Onsite Option:

1. Private viewing of Belt Up Theatre’s Macbeth at the House Of Detention. 2hrs

2. Platform with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discussing a selection of scenes and directorial, character and

atmospheric choices. 45mins

3. Question and Answer session. 15mins

4. Breakout session for groups of 7 to recreate scenes from the play onsite. 20mins

5. Watch and give feedback on performances. 30mins

6. Summary with final questions and answers. 10mins

Offsite Option:

As above but students should attend a public performance before the workshop.

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Workshop 2: English Literature & Drama for A Level

Relevant Courses:

English Literature

AQA 3.2 Unit 2 LITB2 - Dramatic Genres Edexcel Unit 2: Explorations in Drama

Unit F663: Drama and Poetry pre-1800

Drama and Theatre Studies

AQA Unit 1 DRAM1 Live Theatre Production Seen

Edexcel Unit 1: Exploration of Drama and Theatre

Unit 4: Theatre Text in Context

Workshop Size: up to 70 pupils and up to 5 teachers

Onsite Option:

1. Private viewing of a selection scenes from Belt Up Theatre’s Macbeth at the House Of Detention. 30mins

2. Platform with Macbeth and Lady Macbeth discussing the scenes directorial decisions, comparing and

contrasting them with previous productions. 15mins

3. Comparisons of Jacobean archetypes in Macbeth to both other Shakespearian plays and those of his

contemporaries. 15mins

4. Question and Answer session. 15mins

5. Watch performance of Belt Up Theatre’s Macbeth. 30mins

Offsite Option:

As above but students should attend a public performance before the workshop.

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WORKSHOP DETAILS In order to gain the most from our workshops we have designed individual units to cater specifically to A Level and

GCSE English Literature and Drama/Performance courses across most exam boards. All on-site workshops will

include a tour of the space and many include the student exploring the venue as a part of their own research for

activities. Below are a few example workshops, however, we are always happy to cater our workshops to the

groups’ needs and time constraints – please be aware that some aspects of the below workshops will not be possible

away from the site.

PAGE TO STAGE What we will cover

• Why Macbeth?

• Why did we decide to stage the production as a promenade, sight specific piece?

• How did we interpret the script and what methods did we use to turn text in to live action?

Activities

• A discussion on why the script relates to the space and how the space may affect certain key parts of the

script.

• Selecting a site specific location around the space for a key scene.

• Staging and self-directing a key scene from the script, in the location found above.

MAKING A SHOW

What we will cover

• The devising process Belt-Up Theatre employs to develop their shows.

• Why the stylistic choices were made.

• How the director, producers, designers and actors collaborated to produce the show and how key points in

the productions process were encountered.

Activities

• Exploring the space – taking note of key entrances and exits and how this may affect the show you place

within it.

• Devise a short scene in the chose space or use and existing scene from a play.

• Present your show in the space – discuss whether the scene was successful and what changes you could

make to develop it.

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PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE

What we will cover

• The characters in Macbeth and their characteristics, including voice, movement, gesture, posture and facial

expression.

• How these characters relate to archetypal character traits.

• How these can be physically staged.

Activities

• Selecting a range of moments from the script of Macbeth and dissecting the characters’ characteristics.

• Discovering how different spaces around the prison may affect the various physicalities of the characters.

• How would the characters would react if they encountered each other in different parts of the space.

THE STORY OF MACBETH AND ITS THEMES

What we will cover

• The story of Macbeth and its key events

• Themes throughout the play

Activities

• Breaking down the play in to key events.

• Exploring what themes and references throughout the show.

• Exploring Shakespeare’s commentary on politics.

• Why Belt Up Theatre have interpreted the play and placed the show in a site-specific venue to highlight

certain themes and aspects of the story.

THE CHARACTERS OF MACBETH

What we will cover

• An exploration of the characters in Macbeth and the parts they play in the story.

• Key interactions of the characters and their individual journeys.

Activities

• Character profiling and key interactions of main characters.

• Visiting the point in the venue where key interactions occur and discussing the ethical, moral, political and

social implication of the characters actions.

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AN INTERVIEW WITH… Macbeth (DOMINIC ALLEN) You're a very established actor, what for you is the biggest challenge when working with Shakespeare's language?

It's not a challenge, it's a joy. No other writer offers an actor such rich potential. The important thing about

Shakespeare's language is that the text will guide the actor through the play, through all the subtle and cunning

linguistic feats that Shakespeare creates. If you can put your faith in that and allow the language to do the work, one

generally finds that much of the hard work has already been done.

This is the third time you've played the character of Macbeth. What is it about the character that you find so

interesting?

Macbeth is a fascinating character because on the surface he's very straightforward. He kills the King, usurps the

throne, tyrannises Scotland and then gets his comeuppance. However, underneath all that his conscience is bubbling

away and it occasionally breaks out in beautiful or disturbing soliloquies. It then forces you to question what kind of

a man he is; then you discover that the possibilities are endless. It's very rewarding getting to play a character who

needs to be seen as a monster but also sympathised with as a human being.

How do you alter your performance in order for it to better suit an intimate and interactive production?

The piece has been developed for an intimate environment so it's not really a case of altering my performance,

though compared to playing Macbeth in a large auditorium one of the benefits I have is that I can make the scenes

as small as they ought to be. Obviously on a large stage even the most quiet and whispered of scenes needs to be

projected, whereas in this production soliloquies can feel much more private and personal and those beautifully dark

scenes where the Macbeth's are plotting and getting spooked by owls can be as still and quiet as the middle of the

night should be.

What specific challenges do you face when performing in a promenade show?

Logistics are a big problem. The logistics of shepherding an audience, the logistics of controlling what an audience

sees (because they can see everything, not just what you put right in front of them), the logistics of where you need

to walk to and via for your next scene, the logistics of where you set your props so you can pick them up en route,

etc. It's important to remember that it's not just the audience walking around, the actors are too. We've got

nowhere to call 'the wings' as such, and so nowhere really to hide if we get caught unprepared. As a result, as an

actor you have to be constantly on your toes.

The character of Macbeth goes on a long emotional journey through the show. How do you achieve this and

sustain it over a month's run?

Again, putting your trust in the verse helps achieve the important climaxes and anti-climaxes of the play.

Shakespeare has planted each and every twist and turn in Macbeth's arc very carefully. It's still important to gear up

for the play, psychologically speaking, as it's impossible to just go on and do it. A great deal of time is spent in

rehearsals working out who Macbeth is at the start of the play and who he is by the end of it, and a great deal of

time is spent getting into that character. As for sustaining it over a month run, the real key is not losing sight of the

nuances and changes that Macbeth goes through, and making sure they're never lost or glossed over. Finally, I'd say

that preserving one's voice and energy is key because every night Macbeth not only has to soliloquise a lot, he also

has to commit murder, be tormented by ghosts and then fight to the death; and that's a lot of effort when you're the

King.

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THOUGHTS on belt up theatre

‘As one of the teachers who accompanied the school trip to see Macbeth yesterday and I wanted to drop you an e-mail to let you know how much I enjoyed the production. My class loved it too and were so excited about it in their English lesson today that I could barely shut them up for five minutes!’

Kate, KINGS College SCHOOL

‘Your work is insiprational and I feel a must for A level Theatre Studies Students.’ LIZ , Gravesend Grammar School for Girls

‘I saw three of your shows this year at Edinburgh and was mesmerized

by your adaptations of such well known texts. I would like to join your mailing list for details on your workshops available and up and coming performances, becuase I feel it would be beneficial for our group to see how theatre should be devised.’ Sarah, Repton School Derbyshire

‘I saw your performances of Odyssey and Quasimodo at the Lowry and all I can say is WOW. Your sort of work makes me remember why I love Drama and the theatre so much and why I teach Drama and the Arts to young people.’ Ruth, Unity College in Burnley

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