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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Andrew Pulver

Macbeth review – something wicked this way whizzes as dynamic duo play all the roles

Tremendous … Hannah Barrie and Paul O’Mahony in Out of Chaos's Macbeth at Oxford Playhouse.
Tremendous … Hannah Barrie and Paul O’Mahony in Out of Chaos's Macbeth at Oxford Playhouse. Photograph: Alex Brenner

A significant scattering of teenagers attend this show by Out of Chaos, not just because the play is a GCSE staple but also because the touring production trails a reputation for stripping the story to its bare essentials. Staged by Oxford Playhouse’s artistic director Mike Tweddle, this Macbeth was developed with students in mind. Two actors take all the roles in a show that is focused to the point of almost miraculous brevity, coming in at just over 80 minutes.

The actors in question are Hannah Barrie and Paul O’Mahony (artistic director of the Hove-based Out of Chaos) and yes, they are the only people we see on stage, though they do seek infrequent and low-intensity bits of audience interaction.

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