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THE CURSE OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY

David Thomas, who plays Banquo and Seward in Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s current production of Macbeth, considers himself lucky to only have received bite marks and bruising from a disturbed python in his kitchen last week.

The incident caused him to miss the performance for High Schools on Friday morning, leaving the assistant Director to read in the role.

But the cast are asking is the curse surrounding The Scottish Playstill alive? Shakespeare’s Macbeth is surrounded by superstition and fear of the ‘curse’ – uttering the play’s name aloud in a theatre causes bad luck. But where did this superstition come from?

According to folklore, Macbeth was cursed from the beginning. Shakespeare was said to have researched the weird sisters (witches) in depth; their chants, and ingredients of fenny snake, eye of newt and toe of frog, are supposedly real spells. This lead to a coven of witches objecting to Shakespeare using their real incantations, so they put a curse on the play.

Legend has it the play’s first performance (around 1606) was riddled with disaster. The actor playing Lady Macbeth died suddenly, so Shakespeare himself had to take on the part. Other rumoured mishaps include real daggers being used in place of stage props for the murder of King Duncan (resulting in the actor’s death).

The play hasn’t had much luck since. The famous Astor Place Riot in New York in 1849, caused by rivalry between American actor Edwin Forrest and English actor William Charles Macready, resulted in at least 20 deaths and over 100 injuries. Both Forrest and Macready were playing Macbethin opposing productionsat the time.

Other productions have been plagued with accidents, including actors falling off the stage, mysterious deaths, and even narrow misses by falling stage weights, as happened to Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic in 1937.

Then in 1988, Bulgarian singer, coach and translator Bantcho Bantchevsky committed suicide during a nationally broadcast matinee of Giuseppe Verdi‘s opera Macbeth. He propelled himself backwards from a balcony railing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Square.

So how can you avoid catastrophe if you utter the play that shall not be named? Exit the theatre, spin around three times, spit, curse and then knock on the theatre door to be allowed back in…

We plead with our audiences not to worry. Come and see Macbeth! This is Australia – “She’ll be right mate!”

The final weekend of performances is on Fri March 31 at 7.30 am, Sat April 1 at 7.30 pm and Sunday April 2nd at 2 pm. Tickets available from

www.murwillubahtheatrecompany.com.au or at https://www.trybooking.com/CESLO

Photo – Bryanne Jardine and David Thomas in The Female of the Species

Bryanne Jardine plays Lady Macduff in Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth running from Fri March 10 to Sun April 2 Tickets from his website or via https://www.trybooking.com/CESLO

Learning lines! What can I say? Having been involved with theatre since the age of 6, it seems to be getting harder with each passing year. And tackling the Bard is especially challenging. I am in awe of those with much bigger roles than my little 3-page effort and looking forward to the production. What a fabulous cast this has been to work with. Such fun and camaraderie and some many newcomers who have tackled Shakespeare for the first time. Bring on opening night and let’s all have an amannan math (Scottish for ‘good time’).

Christopher Dibb plays Lennoxin Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s production of Macbethrunning from Fri March 10 to Sun April 2

Tickets from his website or via https://www.trybooking.com/CESLO

Christopher’s most recent life was as a Barrister, specialising in defamation law. He did not renew his practising certificate last June and is now retired.

One of Christopher’s lives before the law was as an actor. In that life, during the 1980s and 90s, he performed a large numbers of roles, professional and amateur, in theatre, radio, film and television. However, his only credits this century are Lord Capulet in “Romeo and Juliet” for The Sydney Shakespeare Company in 2017 and Mr Emerson in “A Room with a View” at the Genesian Theatre, Sydney, in 2019.

Christopher is a news and current affairs junkie but really he is interested in everything except rugby.

Danielle Linegar plays Lady Macbeth in Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s production of Macbeth running from Fri March 10 to Sun April 2

Tickets from his website or via https://www.trybooking.com/CESLO

“Macbeth marks my first production with Murwillumbah Theatre Company and it has been wonderful to work on such an intriguing classic play with such a welcoming, talented, committed group of people.

Exploring the role of Lady Macbeth has been fascinating, especially discovering the depths of her ambition, her intelligence, and her relationship with Macbeth. It has been wonderful to delve into what lies behind what the audience sees and to consider what brought her to this moment. To consider why she does what she does.

A fun bonus for this production was discovering that two other cast members are also past members of the theatre group in Wollongong that I used to belong to prior to moving up to the Tweed Shire. Such a small theatrical world!”

Danielle has a wide range of theatrical experience having performed the following roles as well as being choreographer for a variety of productions

Cats (“Bombalurina”),

Jesus Christ Superstar (Dance Captain) (The ‘Ocracy);

A Chorus Line (“Judy”),

The Drowsy Chaperone (“Kitty”),

The Producers, Oklahoma!, State Fair (Arcadians Theatre Group);

La Cage Aux Folles (“Bitelle”) (Phoenix Theatre Co);

Rite of Spring (Elder),

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Mechanical) (Byron Ballet);

The Loneliness Connection (TLC);

Flashmob Dance Co (The Cassettes).

Some of Lady Macbeth’s well-known lines-

Lady Macbeth (Act 2, Scene 2)

“Out! damned spot! One, two, — why, then ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier and afeard? What need we fear who knows it when none can call our power to account? – Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him.”

Lady Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 1)

“All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand.”

Lady Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 1)

“What’s done cannot be undone.”

Yasir Assam plays Macbeth

In Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth

which opens on Fri March 10th 7.30 pm and runs until Sun April 2nd. Tickets at

https://www.trybooking.com/CESLO

“I’ve been in a few shows with MTC: Midsummer Night’s Dream as Puck, The Foreigner, The Importance of Being Earnest, Female of the Species, and various pantomimes. At other local theatre companies, I’ve played in A Christmas Carol, The Incorruptible, Chicago and most recently, The House on the Lake, a demanding and rewarding 2-hander with Uki Moon Theatre Company. I’ve had minor speaking parts in a couple of TV series (Harrow and Young Rock).”

“I’m so grateful to have been asked to play Macbeth: the role of a lifetime and the most demanding yet. The language is astonishing. There’s so much depth to it. It’s one of the greatest plays in the English language, and despite all the work I’ve put in, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of character exploration and development.”

“I’m relishing every minute of playing this amazing role.”

MTC Comment – Yasir has been involved in sword combat training and choreography with Paul Robertson, along with other cast members who draw their swords

Some of Yasir’s famous lines as Macbeth are:

Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)

“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well
It were done quickly.”

Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 7)

“Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee:
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.”

Macbeth (Act 5 Scene 3)

“To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

The contact emails for Murwillumbah Youth Theatre are Bryanne Jardine on beejaydrama and Meri Smith at merimagah

Murwillumbah Theatre Company Inc. is pleased to announce that they will be recommencing MURWILLUMBAH YOUTH THEATRE from 14 February, 2023.

This year the group will be run by Adrienne Megan Lester from UMBRELLA THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS. Adrienne comes to us with years of experience in Children’s Theatre, Musical Theatre, Dance, Drama and Teen Theatre workshops, as well as large scale productions. We are excited to be working with Adrienne and know that she will bring energy and professionalism to MYT.

Bookings are now being taken for Term 1. Classes will be held weekly during NSW school terms at the Coolamon Centre, Tumbulgum Road. Junior classes (8 to 12 year olds) will be 3.45 to 4.30 and Seniors (13 – 18) from 4.45 to 5.45. The cost will be $10 per week. Please note that due to the high demand for these classes, numbers will be restricted and must be paid for in advance at the start of each term.

For bookings and/or queries, please contact :

Bryanne Jardine (President MTC) at beejaydrama

Meri Smith (Treasurer MTC) at merimagah

(Part of the group from MYT 2022)

Yesterday’s official opening of Murwillumbah Theatre Company’s new premises at 23/9 Kite Cres, South Murwillumbah, was performed by MTC’s patron, Margot Anthony, cutting a red ribbon across the door and cutting the cake, iced with the MTC logo.

Current President, Bryanne Jardine, opened proceedings and then handed the microphone to Dianne Robinson, previous President, who was instrumental in getting the project of a permanent theatre company home up and running.

The event was attended by Janelle Saffin, MP for Lismore, Max Boyd, former long-term Mayor of Tweed and his wife Marguerite, Tweed Councillors Meredith Dennis and Nola Firth and Larry Anthony, former federal MP. A wide range of present and former MTC committee members and people with various connections with the company, such as performers, crew, costume and set makers as well as audience from the many plays Murwillumbah Theatre Company has produced, all enjoyed socialising together.

The raffle at "James and the Giant Peach" drawn on Sun Oct 30th was won by Isla Renai with Green Ticket E46.

The prize was a family ticket of four admittance to Currumbin WildLife Sanctuary. Congratulations Isla!
And thank you to all those who entered the raffle competition.