Macbeth starring James McAvoy at the Trafalgar Studios

A round-up of reviews of Macbeth starring James McAvoy at the Trafalgar Studios in London. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] James McAvoy and Claire Foy in Macbeth[/caption] The reviews are in for Macbeth at the Trafalgar Studios, the first production of ex-Donmar associate director Jamie Lloyd's new company. Acclaimed actor James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland, Atonement) stars as Shakespeare’s Macbeth alongside Claire Foy as Lady Macbeth. Olivier Award winner Jamie Lloyd directs this nihilistic vision of chaos, played out with breathless momentum and visceral passion. Jamie Lloyd’s production sees Shakespeare’s darkest tale play out in a dystopian Scotland brutalised by war. Under a toxic fog, Macbeth begins his tormented struggle for power fuelled by ambition and paranoia. Set to be the hottest ticket of the year. Read reviews of Macbeth, below, from The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent, Express and more. LINKS Book tickets to Macbeth starring James McAvoy at the Trafalgar Studios in London

9 FEBRUARY – 27 APRIL 2013 Claire Foy (White Heat, Little Dorrit, The Promise) will play Lady Macbeth, alongside the previously announced BAFTA winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, X-Men) as Macbeth. Joining them, to complete the cast, are Jamie Ballard (Macduff), Graeme Dalling (Donalbain), Lisa Gardner (Witch), Kevin Guthrie (Lennox), Richard Hansell (Ross), Forbes Masson (Banquo), Allison McKenzie (Witch), Olivia Morgan (Witch), Catherine Murray (Caithness), Callum O'Neill (Angus), Mark Quartley (Malcolm) and Hugh Ross (Duncan/Doctor). Macbeth, Jamie Lloyd’s inaugural production in a season of work for Trafalgar Transformed, will be staged at Trafalgar Studios from 9 February until 27 April, with press night on 22 February 2013. Design for Jamie Lloyd’s season is by Soutra Gilmour, who won the 2012 Evening Standard Award for Best Design for Inadmissible Evidence at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Lloyd, and Antigone at the National Theatre. Jamie Lloyd’s production will see Shakespeare’s darkest tale play out in a dystopian Scotland brutalised by war. Under a toxic fog, Macbeth begins his tormented struggle for power fuelled by ambition and paranoia. Claire Foy’s stage credits include Ding Dong the Wicked and Love, Love, Love at the Royal Court Theatre and Baby Girl, DNA and The Miracle as part of the Connections season at the National Theatre. Claire’s television credits include White Heat, Upstairs Downstairs, Little Dorrit, The Promise, The Night Watch, Wreckers, Hacks and Going Postal. On film she appeared alongside Nicolas Cage in Season of the Witch. James McAvoy was last on stage in 2009 in Three Days of Rain (Olivier Award nomination) at the Apollo Theatre directed by Jamie Lloyd. Other stage credits include Breathing Corpses at the Royal Court, Privates on Parade at the Donmar Warehouse and Out in the Open at Hampstead Theatre. McAvoy can next be seen in Danny Boyle’s Trance, Welcome to the Punch, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Filth (2013), and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). James’s film credits include X-Men: First Class, The Conspirator, Gnomeo and Juliet, The Last Station, Wanted, Atonement (London Film Critics Circle Award, Empire Film Award, Richard Attenborough Film Award, BAFTA nomination, Golden Globe nomination), Becoming Jane, Starter for Ten, The Last King of Scotland (BAFTA Scotland Award, BAFTA nomination, London Film Critics Circle nomination), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Bright Young Things. In 2006 James won the BAFTA Orange Rising Star Award. McAvoy’s television credits include Shameless, Macbeth, Early Doors and State of Play. Jamie Lloyd's theatre credits include Cyrano de Bergerac at the Roundabout; American Airlines Theatre, Broadway, The Duchess of Malfi at the Old Vic, She Stoops to Conquer at the National Theatre, The Faith Machine and The Pride (Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement) at the Royal Court, Inadmissible Evidence, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Passion (Evening Standard Award for Best Musical) and Polar Bears all at the Donmar Warehouse, Piaf at the Donmar/Vaudeville/Teatro Liceo, Buenos Aires/Nuevo Teatro Alcala, Madrid (Hugo Award for Best Director, Clarin Award for Best Musical Production and ADEET Award for Best Production), The Little Dog Laughed at the Garrick Theatre, Three Days of Rain at the Apollo Theatre, The Lover and The Collection at the Comedy Theatre, Elegies: a Song Cycle at the Arts Theatre, The School for Scandal at Theatre Royal, Bath, Salome for Headlong, Eric's at Liverpool Everyman and The Caretaker at Sheffield Crucible and the Tricycle Theatre. Jamie was Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse from 2008 to 2011. Jamie Lloyd Productions is a partnership with Jamie Lloyd and Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG). Press release issued by: EMMA HOLLAND PR LINKS Book tickets to MACBETH at the Trafalgar Studios in London  

ATG’s Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire have topped the The Stage 100 for a fourth consecutive year. The exclusive list, compiled annually by the industry’s leading newspaper, ranks the powerhouses of British theatre. This year, Panter and Squire share the revered accolade with the National Theatre. One of the biggest production highlights of 2012 was the ATG initiated, highly-successful reunion with Royal Court Theatre Productions. This collaboration led to a 2012 Royal Court West End season at the Duke of York’s. Laura Wade’s Posh, April De Angelis’ hit comedy, Jumpy starring Tamsin Greig, and the highly-acclaimed Constellations starring Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall, all received critical acclaim, garnering rafts of 4 and 5-star reviews. This trio of plays each celebrated and promoted fresh new writing, with Constellations winning this year’s Evening Standard Best New Play Award. The last 12 months also saw the UK premieres of Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical and All New People starring Zach Braff; the Australian premiere of Legally Blonde the Musical in Sydney; Pinero’s classic comedy Dandy Dick starring Patricia Hodge and Nicholas Le Prevost; Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange starring Robert Bathurst; South Pacific in London and on UK Tour; the return of a brand new production of Spamalot to the West End; Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker in London and on UK Tour; Simon Callow starring in Being Shakespeare and The Mystery of Charles Dickens in London; The Mountaintop starring Samuel L Jackson and Angela Bassett in New York and 10 FFE produced regional pantomimes starring Hollywood favourites David Hasselhoff and Priscilla Presley. Howard Panter said: “Rosemary and I are both humbled and delighted that The Stage continues to recognise that ATG is a great British success story, which brings music and creative brilliance to countless audiences around the globe. “We have just celebrated our 20th anniversary, and the diversity, depth and breadth of what ATG does is, in many ways, unparalleled. “2012 was a historic year for the UK, in particular London, and we were delighted to play a small part and make our own contribution. “We would like to congratulate the National Theatre, with whom we are honoured to share this distinction, on their success.” Upcoming highlights for 2013 will include Howard Panter and British director Jamie Lloyd’s first collaboration, Macbeth starring James McAvoy in the reconfigured Trafalgar Studio 1, starting in February. In the West End, Passion Play by Peter Nichols, the inaugural production from Tali Pelman Productions starring Zoë Wanamaker at the Duke of York’s, will open next spring. There will also be a brand new production of The Rocky Horror Show which will celebrate its fortieth anniversary; a UK tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert starring Jason Donovan, set to open in Manchester in February; and a new UK tour of Maurice’s Jubilee; Press release issued by: Ambassador Theatre Group