Repercussion Theatre’s Co-Production of DEADLY SIN, Macbeth in Hell: A Cabaret! a Huge Success

June 30, 2011

Montreal, June 30^th, 2011 – On the evening of Sunday, June 26^th, at the Marché Bonsecours in the heart of Montreal’s Vieux Port, the Festival Montreal Baroque wound down with a highly unique, dark and menacing retelling of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Three of Repercussion Theatre’s actors were joined by an 8-piece choir and the Ensemble Caprice for DEADLY SIN, Macbeth in Hell: A Cabaret!, the Closing Grand Concert of this year’s festival. The sold-out show was an enormous success and garnered the praise of hundreds of audience members.

“We really wanted to show the gravity of this classic play, and have a few laughs at the same time”, says Repercussion Artistic Director Paul Hopkins. “The different elements of this eclectic show came together to make that happen”.  The hostess for the evening, Vice, played by cabaret extraordinaire Danette Mackay, welcomed the audience to Chez Satan, a nightclub in Hell, to bear witness to the Macbeths’ punishment; an eternal reliving of all of their mortal sins. Mackay’s sinister wit was nicely balanced by the ill-fated and ominous Macbeth, played by Hopkins, and Lady Macbeth, played by Anana Rydvald. Both actor’s stunning portrayals of the tortured Scottish souls had the audience agonizing with remorse, a mood finely cut by Mackay’s sadistic devilishness.

Intertwined with scenes from Shakespeare’s tragedy were performances by the Ensemble Caprice led by Matthias Maute, whose harpsichord- and lute-flavored arrangements of Henry Purcell, John Eccles, Matthew Locke and Richard Leveridge gave the performance the appropriate Baroque atmosphere. An 8-piece male and female choir, representing the supernatural elements of the play, joined the actors on stage to add to the dynamics of the action.

In its ninth year, this year’s Festival Montreal Baroque carried the theme of Seven Deadly Sins. The festival exists to expose Canadians to the Baroque-era music and culture of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Repercussion Theatre would like to thank the festival for the opportunity to be a part of this year’s event, and the staff and volunteers of the festival for all of their dedication.

Keep watching for Repercussion Theatre’s announcement of this year’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park cast.

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Contact:

Greg Stone

Marketing Assistant

Repercussion Theatre

1006 de la Montagne, suite 111

Montréal, Québec   H3G 1Y7

Phone: 514-931-2644

Fax: 514-931-4426

marketing2011@repercussiontheatre.com