Theatre chiefs hail 'coup' as Royal Shakespeare Company brings Macbeth sequel

The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Lyceum are presenting the RSC production Dunsinane, at the Grindlay Street theatre.

The latest work from award-winning Edinburgh playwright David Greig, Dunsinane, the sequel to Shakespeare's Macbeth, will bring the curtain down on an extended Royal Lyceum 2010/11 Season, when it receives its Scottish Premiere next May.

Announcing, what is being heralded as a theatrical coup for the city, Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland said: "We are delighted and honoured to bring this extraordinary play, directed by Roxana Silbert, to audiences in Scotland. It seems fitting that the ideas in Dunsinanee have provided the first link for us to work with the RSC. Audiences will be thrilled by it."

Mark Thomson, Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum added: "When the National saw it, they said, 'We think this is an important play for Scotland.' It was being played for three weeks at the Hampstead Theatre only and that was it. It's a big play and deserves more life than that. They thought, 'Why do another production of it when that production was a very good one?'"

Having proved a hit with audiences and critics alike when it was first staged at London's Hampstead Theatre earlier this year, the play is set in Dunsinane, the Scottish garrison town which is believed to be the site of a battle where Malcolm defeated Macbeth in 1054.

Applauding the National Theatre of Scotland's decision to bring the RSC production to Edinburgh, Mr Greig said: "It's a bold, dark story and without the National Theatre of Scotland it would have no chance of being seen here.

"Dunsinane emerged for me around five years ago when there seemed to be several productions of Macbeth being performed. Macbeth is about the toppling of a king. But I found I was interested in what happened after that king was overthrown. How does an army restore a kingdom to peace?

"I also had a cheeky desire, to respond to the fact that the most famous Scottish play was written by the most famous English writer. I wanted to look at the story from a Scottish point of view. Andho could resist the chance to revisit Lady Macbeth, one of the greatest characters in all drama?"

Mr Greig, a former member of Edinburgh Youth Theatre, added, "The first show I ever saw that turned me on to theatre was a production of Macbeth at the Lyceum Theatre in 1981. For my take on the Macbeth story, now to be coming to the Lyceum, the wheel has come full circle and the prospect is hugely thrilling"

The RSC last appeared in Edinburgh at the 2006 Festival in Troilus and Cressida, their first visit to the Capital since presenting A Servant To Two Masters at The King's in 2000. Dunsinane will run from 14 May-4 June 2011. Tickets go on sale from the Royal Lyceum box office on 19 July 2010.