Shakespeare’s Macbeth Reimagined as Office Comedy

An actor is contributing to the transformation of one of Shakespeare’s most bloodthirsty tragedies into a more humorous piece: a workplace comedy. Mae Munuo, a Suffolk native, stated that she is “reimagining” Macbeth alongside fellow actor Jack Harrold. The two actors met during their studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Macbeth chronicles the narrative of a man’s violent ascent to kingship and his subsequent, even more violent, demise. However, Munuo commented: “We are hoping we can make it funny. There are some moments of a ‘comedy of errors’ at some points.” Development sessions for transforming the play from a concept into a stage production have been conducted at Dance East, located on Ipswich Waterfront. The project emphasizes not only comedic elements but also accessibility, exploring methods for utilizing sound for visually-impaired audiences. The two actors have collaborated with an accessibility consultant to ensure this aspect is “built into the DNA of the show”. Munuo expressed their aim to make it “enjoyable for all audiences – especially those that don’t feel like Shakespeare is for them”. This new rendition positions Macbeth within an office setting, which Munuo described as a “playground for comedy”. She added: “There are moments where we completely take the text out of scenes and we just have two people or one person struggling in a situation – and getting everything completely wrong.” Although some might question how Macbeth can be adapted for humor, Harrold contends that the scenario of a two-person cast portraying all characters is inherently “ridiculous”. He stated: “I think comedy is very powerful. “If you get an audience to laugh, you get them to open up their hearts to you – and then you can rip them apart with tragedy at the end.” The production has received financial support from the New Wolsey Theatre and Arts Council England. The expectation is that this reimagined Macbeth will embark on a tour throughout the east. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.