Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle Star In The Tragedy Of Macbeth

Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle are starring alongside each other in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

Rehearsals for Yaël Farber’s production at the Almeida in Islington have begun.

Ronan will make her UK stage debut as Lady Macbeth and McArdle is set to play Macbeth – whose relationship will be at the heart of the adaption, with some lines reassigned.

In this modern adaption of Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, the pair have revealed they have named their characters Susan and Neil Macbeth.

James spoke with Vogue and explained the relationship dynamic of the iconic literary couple. “This is a couple who are far more in love than Romeo and Juliet. They’ve been together for years, and have been through the death of a child. The play is about the tragedy of the Macbeths, not Macbeth alone.”

Ronan agrees with the statement.  “You’re rooting for them,” she says. “They’re both kind of terrible, but you’re fascinated by their incredibly modern, liberated relationship.”

Interestingly, in an interview with the BBC, Saorise and James compare their characters to a modern day power (ex)couple: Kim and Kanye.

“We keep thinking about Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as like a Kim and Kanye situation, where there have been stages to their success and real kind of highs and lows.”

The Tragedy of Macbeth will be shown in London from October 1 and will run until November 20.

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