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Styles and design with Just Macbeth!
Watch, design and construct with the NSW Public Schools Drama Company
Student resource developed by The Arts Unit
Years 6 to 9 drama and English
Welcome to Just Macbeth! by Andy Griffiths
Welcome to Just Macbeth! by Andy Griffiths
Produced by The Arts Unit, NSW Department of Education, in association with Bell Shakespeare and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
Students performing the banquet scene, photo: Anna Warr
Shakespearean style and language
Shakespearean style and language
'I have no idea what I just said.' – Danny
Shakespearean language is littered throughout Just Macbeth! Of course, it pays homage to the original text, Macbeth, but we also get a taster of other Shakespeare plays.
Joanna Erskine, head of education at Bell Shakespeare, talks through her approach to Shakespearean language.
Watch the video for these insights and tips.
Shakespeare's language
Shakespeare's language
Duration: 03:26
Task - English/drama
Task - English/drama
In the previous video, Joanna uses some of the following tasks to tackle Shakespearean language.
Using the text below, complete these tasks in your logbook.
Understand
Take a small amount of Shakespearean text and delve into some detective work.
Underline the words you don’t understand and look them up.
Can you translate one sentence into the language we use today?
Intentions
What is this text telling us about the character?
How do they feel about other characters/situations/themselves?
Drill down
What’s happening in the broader scene?
What images are created in this short piece of text?
Usually, Shakespeare creates 2 opposite images to amplify a situation/state of mind – is this happening in your extract?
King Duncan, photo: Anna Warr
Lisa performs Lady Macbeth's famous monologue, photo: Anna Warr
Danny as Banquo, photo: Anna Warr
Use the following extract to assist with the tasks above.
Macbeth by Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3
Macbeth by Shakespeare, act 1, scene 3
That trusted home
Might yet enkindle you unto the crown,
Besides the thane of Cawdor. But 'tis strange:
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,
The instruments of darkness tell us truths,
Win us with honest trifles, to betray's
In deepest consequence.
Explore more about Shakespearean language with Bell Shakespeare on their website. Some pages of interest might be:
common phrases in Shakespeare’s language
language techniques in Shakespeare’s plays
Shakespeare’s words and inventions.
Director Sophie Kelly, photo: Anna Warr
Theatrical style
Theatrical style
'Life’s but a walking shadow.' – Macbeth, act 5, scene 5
Shadow theatre is a theatrical form used throughout this performance of Just Macbeth! It can add depth and scale when playing with lighting and shadows allowing objects to appear bigger or smaller behind the screen.
Research task
Research task
Shadow puppetry has been used for storytelling for thousands of years. There are strong traditions in Asia to various ways of creating theatre through shadow puppetry.
Watch the following video on Balinese wayan shadow puppetry for further investigation.
I Made Sidia masterclass – Balinese wayang shadow puppetry
I Made Sidia masterclass – Balinese wayang shadow puppetry
Duration: 03:31
How does this form work to:
show character or setting
develop tension
enhance mood and atmosphere?
Can you think of any situations, characters or moments that were enhanced through the use of shadow theatre? Write this example down in your logbook.
Performers create the landscape, photo: Anna Warr
Setting
Setting
Shadow theatre can be used to create and enhance the setting.
In the 'Performers create the landscape' image, the landscape of Scottish heath is created.
Shadow theatre is also used to transform a 'house' into a 'castle' as shown in the 'Andy with shadow house' and 'castle' images as follows.
Andy with shadow house, photo: Anna Warr
Andy with shadow castle, photo: Anna Warr
Tension
Tension
Tension is built through shadow theatre.
In the killing of King Duncan, the lighting states flicker on and off, aiding the development of this tension, fuelled by the crisp outlines of the figures.
The killing of King Duncan, photo: Anna Warr
Tension is built as the gnomes begin to build in number and march towards Andy.
The gnomes start marching towards Andy, photo: Anna Warr
Situation is established through the shadow theatre imagery.
Andy and Lisa's accession to the throne, photo: Anna Warr
The pulverising machine, photo: Anna Warr
Shadow and bunraku paper puppetry
Shadow and bunraku paper puppetry
For more inspiration on how to use shadow theatre, view our 'Shadow and bunraku paper puppetry' series.
Learn how to make a simple shadow puppet from scratch and explore creative ideas for special effects to enhance your puppet show.
Costume design
Costume design
'... very Scottish but very quickly!' – Suzanne Wilding-Hart, costume designer
Costume design in every production needs to be carefully considered. In Just Macbeth! the characters straddle a number of different settings and worlds, from the classroom to Scottish castles!
Andy and Lisa, photo: Anna Warr
Throughout the course of the performance, Andy’s costume slowly assumes more and more ‘Macbeth’ traits.
Andy begins the play in a school uniform with a flannelette shirt around his waist.
How might this give hints about costume changes to come?
As the play progresses further, both Andy and Danny's school uniforms evolve with Scottish tartan arranged and pleated over their shoulders and belted around the waist.
Duncan and Andy wearing plaid, photo: Anna Warr
Finally, Andy's transformation into Macbeth and King is fully realised with this royal cape, crown sceptre and kilt.
Andy as King in full costume, photo: Anna Warr
Task – drama
Task – drama
Create a series of 3 costume designs for Lisa where she slowly transforms into Lady Macbeth, similar to Andy and Danny's transformations.
Watch the interview with costume designer Suzanne Wilding-Hart for her insights and ideas.
Costume design
Costume design
Duration: 04:20
Task – English
Task – English
From stage to page to stage ...
Just Macbeth! by Andy Griffiths is inspired by the play Macbeth.
How does the book Just Macbeth! capture the theatricality of the stage?
How does the story change from reading it on the page to seeing the filmed stage performance?
How might the story change if you were to write a creative piece inspired by the performance you have seen?
Set design
Set design
The set is a very important part of the theatre-making process and is essential to the staging of a play. Listen to the set designer Tom Bannerman talking through the design process for Just Macbeth!
Third-party content attributions
Third-party content attributions
Macbeth, act 1, scene 3 by Shakespeare is in the public domain.
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