Prelude to Macbeth – modern Shakespeare plays

 

modern Shakespeare play
The Thurso players in their winning performance

PRELUDE TO MACBETH – MODERN SHAKESPEARE PLAYS

This award winning one act play is a prequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The story of how Macbeth becomes Thane of Glamis and how he meets Lorna Stewart who becomes his wife – Lady Macbeth. The play is written in blank verse – the style fashionable with playwrights of Shakespeare’s era.

Macbeth’s first wife has just died. Battle weary and devastated by his loss he decides to give up being a soldier. Duncan doesn’t want to lose Macbeth. He offers him the title of Thane of Glamis if he will agree to continue as his general. Macbeth knows he will either have to accept the offer – or flee into exile. Duncan won’t take no for an answer.

Prelude to Macbeth won the 2010 Seahorse Award for best stage play at the Moondance Film Festival in America. At the Wilmslow Guild Drama Festival 2010 it received the Adjudicators Award for the most original piece of theatre.

It was also awarded the trophies for highest directing mark and overall winner at the SCDA Caithness District festival of one act plays in Scotland in 2016.

FURTHER PRODUCTION HISTORY

Artist’s Playground – Quezon, Philippines – 2016
Second round performances Artist’s Playground – Quezon, Philippines
Wauwatosa East High School – Tosa East Players, WI, USA – 2022
Smoky Hill High School, CO, USA – 2022

Read about playwright James Chalmers.

Author: James Chalmers

Genre: Shakespearean tragedy, modern Shakespeare plays

Type: One act play

Length: Forty minutes

Number of actors: Eight, 4M 4F

Ages of the actors: Teenage to elderly

Suitable for: All ages

Set: A simple stage set is suggested – for example free standing flats (1m wide x 2m high) in an arc across the playing area – painted a neutral colour such as grey. Entrances and exits can be between the flats or in front of them. The flats suggest rocks like Stonehenge or castle battlements.

Level of Difficulty: 7/10 – this play is written in the same style as Shakespeare wrote, achieving the right flow of the words is paramount.

Read a Sample of the Script




Cost is $10 for this award winning script

Contact Off The Wall Plays with any queries about Prelude to Macbeth

© August 2014 James Chalmers and Off The Wall Play Publishers

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