Fair is foul, and foul is fair”

  • Macbeth, Act I, Scene I

EXPLANATION: What’s beautiful will eventually become ugly and vice versa. Things would be opposite to what they appear. This is the most important line in Macbeth as it is considered the closest description of the theme of the play. Interpreted as Macbeth’s fair judgement in his perfect world will eventually turn upside down and he will do things that he considers foul or unfair.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an entire Shakespeare play performed and explained to you in modern English with a dash of Malaysian slang?

That’s what KL Shakespeare Players have been doing for the past five years! They will be performing Macbeth this time marking six years of demystifying Shakespeare.

Just a bit of a warning. Their performances are always sold out so if you do not want to miss out, you need to buy your tickets today! The 2016 restaging of The Merchant of Venice garnered critical and commercial acclaim, having nearly outsold its runs in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. 2015’s Othello sold out before the Kuala Lumpur run even started, with groups coming from as far south as Johor and as far north as Perak.

Macbeth is a story of one man’s ambition, and sits at the core of Shakespeare’s great tragedies. Three witches give Macbeth the thane of Glamis, an irresistible prophecy: he is about to be crowned King of Scotland. However, the current king, Duncan, and his heir stand in his way. Lusting after power and abetted by the equally bloodthirsty Lady Macbeth, Macbeth sets off down a dark and bloody warpath to acquire the crown of Scotland. The consequences of the Macbeths’ plotting give way to the unravelling of the world: nature recoils from humanity, ghosts walk the earth and the political ramifications draws two countries to the brink of war.

Directed by Lim Kien Lee, Shakespeare Demystified: Macbeth will feature the following performers – Lim Soon Heng, Tika Mutamir, David H Lim and Tung Jit Yang.

SHAKESPEARE DEMYSTIFIED: MACBETH will be staged from 27 – 30 April 2017 at stage 2, penangpac, Straits Quay. Showtime from Thursday to Saturday is at 8:30pm, and Sunday at 3pm. Ticket price is RM45 for adults; and RM35 for students, physically-challenged individuals, senior citizens above 60, and TAS Card holders.

Early bird tickets available till 4 April at RM35. Student group ticket booking available for 10 pax and above at RM30.

Buy your tickets online at http://www.ticketpro.com.my/jnp/others/2033999-penangpac-Shakespeare-Demystified-MACBETH.html for adult tickets only. For other inquiries, walk-in or call +604 899 1722 / 2722 (penangpac).

For more information, please visit www.klshakespeare.com.my, and www.penangpac.org. Check out Shakespeare Demystified on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ShakespeareDemystified/.