Fair is foul, and foul is fair

The southside troupe are tackling their first Shakespearean production — and a fitting one for October, too — with Macbeth (or the The Scottish Play for the superstitious among you).

Brave general Macbeth has the trust of King Duncan — but then he meets three witches who tell him he will one day be king instead.

Urged on by the manipulative Lady Macbeth, the hero becomes consumed by greed and grasps for power at any cost — even murder.

Are prophecies worth chasing, or does all that guilt and paranoia lead to madness? It’s possible you know the answer — but, as one of Shakespeare’s best-loved pieces, it’s well worth following the Players’ take on Macbeth’s downward spiral.

GTP photographer Kev Thomas commented: “It’s been a real pleasure to be able to watch rehearsals as the actors start to become their characters, looking for those hidden nuances, the back-story behind each role. Even during rehearsals, the actors have managed to have the hair on the back of my neck stand up.”

It may be the first time that GTP have tackled the Bard — but having been treading the boards since 1948, their take may be just the high culture you’re looking for this week.

Macbeth runs Wed-Sat (Oct 22-25), 7.30pm, plus a 2.30pm Sat mat. Tickets are £13 (£11 conc) from 07518 201 756, [email protected] or www.eastwoodparktheatre.co.uk.