''Dunsinane'' is a 2010 play by David Greig. It premiered in a

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

production at the Hampstead Theatre from 10 February to 6 March 2010, directed by RSC Associate Director Roxana Silbert and with leads including

Siobhan Redmond Siobhan Redmond, ( ; born 27 July 1959) is a Scottish actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and known for various stage, audio and television roles. Early life Siobhan Redmond was born on 27 July 1959 in the Tollcross area of ...

and Jonny Phillips.

Plot

The narrative is formed by the events following the defeat of

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

by Malcolm and an English army in the

Battle of Dunsinane The Battle of Dunsinane, also known as the Battle of the Seven Sleepers, was fought between the forces of Macbeth, King of Scotland and forces led by Siward, Earl of Northumbria and Malcolm Canmore on 27 July 1054. The battle was part of a campai ...

at the end of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

’s play ''

''. In Greig’s version, Lady Macbeth is known as Gruach. Having outlived her second husband Macbeth, after she had Macbeth kill her first husband, Gruach continued to enforce the Moray claim to the throne via herself and her son by her first marriage. The playwright parallels the attempted

nation-building Nation-building is constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state. Nation-building aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. According ...

by the English leader Siward and the continued bloodshed against the English occupying forces with contemporary events in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

and

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. He also includes the Shakespearean characters MacDuff and Malcolm, as well as introducing new characters such as Siward’s English subordinate Lord Egham and a chorus of English soldiers.

Adaptation

A radio adaptation premiered on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...

directed by Roxana Silbert and with original songs and music composed by

Nick Powell Nicholas Edward Powell (born 23 March 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or as a striker for EFL Championship club Stoke City. He began his career at Crewe Alexandra, initially as a forward, making his deb ...

on 30 January 2011. The cast included:

Tour

The

National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...

has toured the

production since 2011 to theatres in Scotland, England, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Russia and the United States.

Notes and references

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunsinane (Play) 2010 plays Plays and musicals based on Macbeth British plays Plays set in Scotland Plays based on real people