Goblin:Macbeth takes over Bard on the Beach’s Howard Family Stage
July 21, 2023, Vancouver, BC / Traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations – Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival continues its 34th Season in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park with Goblin:Macbeth on the Howard Family Stage from August 19 to September 17.
Directed by Rebecca Northan, Goblin:Macbeth is a theatre event like no other, inviting audiences on a 90 minute theatrical rollercoaster ride hosted by three rogue Goblins who bring mayhem and wickedness to the Howard Family Stage.
When three Goblins come across a copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, they are intrigued by a writer who clearly knows his witches, faeries, goblins and monsters. They decide to co-opt a theatre space and cajole an audience into participating in their first attempt at “doing theatre”. They choose Macbeth because it’s short…and has lots of blood! Get set for a unique experience with this mischievously interactive production.
“I have a profound love of words, as well as a background in mask work, improvisation and misbehaviour, so the idea of Goblins doing Shakespeare seemed obvious to me,” says director and co-creator Rebecca Northan. “To the Goblins, Macbeth is not Shakespeare’s most unsettling and cursed play – they already come from a world where fairies, ghosts, witches and magic are pedestrian. Our Goblins are able to push past all that phantasmagoria to highlight a humour that is so often glossed over in human productions that favour a macabre atmosphere. Our Goblins reveal that to pair tragedy with humour, as Shakespeare intended, is a profoundly human impulse that highlights the horror, while allowing us to bear it. I actively discourage you from seeking out the identity of our players. Let the Goblins work their magic on you; let the play hit you in new ways.”
Goblin:Macbeth was created by Rebecca Northan with Bruce Horak. Members of Goblin:Macbeth production team include Lili Beaudoin (Stage Manager), Philip Edwards (Costume Designer), Anton DeGroot (Original Lighting Design) with Michael K. Hewitt (Associate Lighting Designer), Diana Leblanc (Consultant), and Hanne Loosen (Props Designer). This production is performed on the remnants of the Henry V set designed by Amir Ofek.
Ticket prices for all regular play performances start at $30 CAD and are available now. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection, as many performances sell out in advance.
The full performance schedule and event details are on the Bard website at bardonthebeach.org. To book tickets, order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559.
Bard on the Beach gratefully acknowledges the corporate sponsors and donors who support and sustain the Festival and its programs. The 2023 Season Sponsor is the Peter and Joanne Brown Foundation, returning with its vital support for another year. Production sponsors include BMO Financial Group (BMO Mainstage) and Paul and Darlene Howard (Howard Family Stage). The Production Sponsor for Goblin:Macbeth is Polygon. Season Media Sponsors include the Vancouver Sun and Global BC, as well as many other valued sponsors and partners. Bard also thanks the City of Vancouver Cultural Services Department, the Vancouver Park Board, the Province of British Columbia, the B.C. Arts Council, Canadian Heritage, and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continuing support.
About Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare festivals. Established in 1990, Bard’s mission is to create transformative experiences through exceptional theatre, training and education opportunities that inspire, resonate, and promote the exchange of ideas. As well as its annual summer Festival, Bard offers year-round education and training programs for youth, adults, and theatre professionals in its administrative home at the BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village as well as in schools and community facilities throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.
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A selection of photographs for media use is available on the Bard website.
Please contact Cynnamon Schreinert for password access or interviews.
Tel: 604-802-2733; email: [email protected]