Storyhouse's Macbeth opens with an immediate jolt, setting the tone for a production that is both inventive and darkly humorous

Chaos immediately erupts on stage as three neon-clad witches crawl and hop in bright pink lace-up boots, citing incantations in frenetic bursts. 

At first, it's difficult to take them seriously - the scene flirts with the absurd and threatens to tip into panto. Yet from this shocking start, Storyhouse's production of Macbeth soon unravels into a bold, darkly humorous reimagining of Shakespeare's tragedy.

Immediately upon entering, the superb stage design was impossible to miss - making full use of Storyhouse's intimate thrust stage and showing exactly why Shakespeare works so well up close.

The opening scene did throw me, I must confess. The production is an eclectic mix of modern costuming, music, and dark humour, all anchored in Shakespeare's original text. The language remains intact, yet the play feels current, using a look or a vocal emphasis to highlight overlooked lines and subtly modernise the story.

I felt, however, the portrayal of the three witches was a weak point. Immediately setting a tone that didn't quite sit with the rest of the production, the mood began to slip towards pantomime as soon as the trio ran on stage.

Yet the production quickly found its footing, and some of the strongest moments come from the leads. Yolanda Ovide as Lady Macbeth, in particular, is unforgettable.

Early in the play, as she summons the spirits to strip her of all feeling and remorse, her performance is both unsettling and mesmerising. Her guttural delivery and intense presence dominate the scene, conveying a woman teetering on the edge of humanity.

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Even in the mundane, green-lit bathroom, her voice and movement transform the space - making her appear almost supernatural and witch-like. The effect is chilling and utterly compelling.

As Lady Macbeth's husband begins to descend into madness, the production's dark humour and inventive staging comes to the fore. In a memorable moment, two hired murderers, wearing stained butcher's aprons and horse heads, bumble onto the stage like nervous, albeit murderous, children.

Cramped together in a claustrophobic bathroom for their covert meeting, the three men create a unique scene carried by its use of dark humour. Their ineptitude is heightened by Macbeth's control, as he directs them to carry out the gruesome murder of a child, marking the moment as both unsettling and strangely funny.

As chaos ensues, the production's design elements, particularly Andrew Exeter's lighting, become increasingly striking.

The infamous banquet scene is a prime example: the table glows in green hues against a backdrop of pinks and purples, casting the setting in a surreal, almost hallucinatory light. During this scene, Fletcher's direction really comes into its own.

Lady Macbeth scrambles to protect herself and her husband from social ruin, whilst Macbeth fully commits to portraying a man haunted by visions, imagining ghosts at the dinner table even among his closest allies. The result is a brilliant mix of horror and outrageous humour, perfectly timed to be both tense and unexpectedly funny.

Throughout the play, Robin Morrissey's Macbeth moves convincingly from victorious war hero to a man consumed by paranoia and cruelty, whilst Ovide's Lady Macbeth anchors the action with ambition, vulnerability, and dark humour.

Their dynamic, supported by a youthful and energetic ensemble - many drawn from Storyhouse Youth Theatre - anchors the production and gives the audience characters to invest in amid the chaos.

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Ultimately, Storyhouse's Macbeth is daring, inventive, and memorable.

Whilst the witches' initial portrayal may not appeal to all, the combination of dark humour, inventive staging, striking lighting, and compelling lead performances makes for a thoroughly engaging reinterpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy.

Running until Saturday 21 March, the drama is a Storyhouse Originals production. You can find tickets here.