US PREMIERE
The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company present
Dunsinane
By David Greig and directed by Roxana Silbert
Supported by the Scottish Government International Touring Fund
Touring USA in Spring 2015
The National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production Dunsinane,
David Greig’s majestic sequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, is touring to North Carolina, Washington
DC, Chicago and Los Angeles in 2015. First premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company at
Hampstead Theatre in 2010, this tour marks the American premiere of Dunsinane after a highly
successful recent tour to East Asia and Russia in spring 2014.
Dunsinane is the setting for Greig’s play, the Scottish garrison town where the English occupying
army is ready to commence battle and historically believed to be where Malcolm defeated Macbeth
in 1054. Greig has taken Scotland’s real history and dramatically mixed it with the setting of
Shakespeare’s play, one of the most famous landscapes in literature, even though Shakespeare
himself never set foot on Scottish soil.
Macbeth is dead. Under cover of night, the English army has swept through the landscape, killed the
tyrant and taken the seat of power. Attempting to restore peace and put in place a new ruler, the
commanding officer is beset by a brutal guerrilla uprising and simmering discontent amongst his
own inexperienced troops. Struggling to grasp the alien customs and politics of this harsh country,
he finds himself drawn towards the tyrant’s powerful widow in search of someone to share his
burden of responsibility. Increasingly isolated from his own men and Scottish allies alike, his efforts
to restore order appear futile as the situation spirals out of control.
“a work of compelling intelligence, provocation and wit” The Guardian ****
“Instead of being an intriguing exercise in reimagining history, the play becomes the frankly
thrilling spectacle of one of the country's leading writers using its biggest stage as the great public
forum of debate. . . . If it's riveting spectacle, challenging ideas and human drama you want, this
is the show to see.” The Times ****
Siobhan Redmond will reprise her role as Gruach, (Lady Macbeth) and she will be joined by leading
British stage and screen actor, Darrell D’Silva, in the role of Siward. Other cast members are George
Brockbanks, Helen Darbyshire, Ewan Donald, Keith Fleming, Tom Gill, Toyin Omari-Kinch, Arthur
McBain, Matt McClure, Alex Mann and Mairi Morrison.
The creative team are David Greig (Writer), Roxana Silbert (Director), Robert Innes Hopkins
(Designer), Chahine Yavroyan (Lighting Designer), Nick Powell (Composer and Sound Designer),
Luke Kernaghan (Associate Director), Anna Morrissey (Movement Director), Polly Bennett
(Associate Movement Director), Terry King (Fight Director), Stephen Kemble (Voice Coach), Ruth
Cooper-Brown (Archery Consultant), Rosalind Acton (Musical Director and Cello), Robert Owen
(Percussion), Andy Taylor (Guitarist).
The production is touring to Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (29 to 30
January), Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington DC (3 to 21 February ), Chicago Shakespeare
Theater, Chicago (February 26 to March 22), Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Los
Angeles (27 March to 5 April).
Writer David Greig says: I’m delighted that Dunsinane is having its American premiere. Wherever
Dunsinane goes, new audiences seem to bring new context and light the play up in a different
way. I can’t wait to find out how the story comes over in the different cities in America.
LEAD CAST & CREATIVE TEAM INFORMATION
David Greig –writer of Dunsinane
David is a playwright, screenwriter and director. His work for the National Theatre of Scotland
includes Glasgow Girls, The Great Yes, No, Don’t Know Five Minute Theatre Show, One Day in Spring,
The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Peter Pan, The Bacchae, Futurology: A Global
Review and Gobbo.
David’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (directed by British stage and film director,
Sam Mendes) is currently running in London’s West End. His production of The Events (Winner of the
Carol Tambor Award and Voted Best Theatre of 2013 by The Guardian critics) is soon to open at New
York Theatre Workshop (12 February to 22 March).
Other theatre work includes Victoria, The Monster In The Hall, Midsummer, Yellow Moon, Letter of
Last Resort, Miniskirts of Kabul, Kyoto, Being Norwegian, Damascus, Pyrenees, San Diego, The
American Pilot, Outlying Islands and The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in
the Former Soviet Union. Work with Suspect Culture includes 8000m, Lament, Timeless, Mainstream
and Airport.
Since his first main stage production ‘Europe,’ at The Traverse in 1996, his work has been produced
extensively abroad. His plays have been translated and produced in most of the countries of Europe,
the USA and Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan and Korea.
Roxana Silbert– director of Dunsinane
Roxana is Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre for whom she has directed Moliere's
Tartuffe, the world premiere of KHANDAN (Family) (with the Royal Court) and most recently Of Mice
and Men.
Previously, she was Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (2009-2013), where her
work included A Soldier in Every Son, Galileo, Measure for Measure, Richard III, Shakespeare Shorts,
Such Tweet Sorrow (the world’s first Twitter play), Little Eagles, Dunsinane and Brixton Stories.
Roxana was also Artistic Director of Paines Plough (2005-2009) and her work included Orphans,
Roaring Trade, Being Norwegian, Between Wolf and Dog, Long Time Dead, Strawberries in January,
After the End and Dallas Sweetman.
She was Literary Associate of the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh (2001-2004), her work included The
Slab Boys, Still Life, The People Next Door, Iron, 15 Seconds and Greenfields) and Associate Director
at The Royal Court, London (her work included At the Table, Still Nothing, I Was So Lucky, Been So
Long, Fairgame, Bazaar, Sweetheart, Essex Girls and Mules).
Darrell D'Silva – Siward
Darrell’s previous work with the National Theatre of Scotland includes the 2014 tour of Dunsinane
(with the Royal Shakespeare Company). His theatre work with the Royal Shakespeare Company
includes Anthony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, King Lear, A Winter’s Tale, Camino Real, The Spanish
Tragedy, Troilus and Cressida, A Month In The Country, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry VIII , Dr
Faustus, The Drunks, Little Eagles, Hecuba. He is also an Associate Artist at The Royal Shakespeare
Company. His film work includes The Throwaways, Northmen: A Viking Saga, Montana, Closer To
The Moon, Dirty Pretty Things, Jimmy's End, His Heavy Heart and Song.
Siobhan Redmond - Gruach
Siobhan’s work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes the 2011/2013/2014 tours of
Dunsinane (with the Royal Shakespeare Company), The House Of Bernarda Alba and Mary Stuart.
She is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and her work there includes Richard III,
King John, Twelfth Night, The Comedy Of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing and The Spanish Tragedy.
Television work includes Code Of A Killer, Case Histories, Bob Servant, The Town, The Smoking Room,
The Catherine Tate Show, The High Life, Sorry About Last Night, In The Red and Between The Lines.
Film work includes Alice through the Looking Glass, Beautiful People, Captives, Duet For One and
Latin For A Dark Room.
Ewan Donald - Malcolm
Ewan’s previous work with the National Theatre of Scotland includes the 2014 tour of Dunsinane
(with the Royal Shakespeare Company).
Keith Fleming – Macduff
Keith’s previous work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes the 2014 tour of
Dunsinane (with the Royal Shakespeare Company), Black Watch, Beautiful Burnout (with Frantic
Assembly), The Miracle Man, The Making of Us and Peer Gynt (with Dundee Rep). Recent work
includes The Union (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh), Miss Julie (Citizens, Glasgow) and Macbeth (Perth
Theatre). Other theatre work includes The Dark Things, Pandas (Traverse, Edinburgh), Squash, Call
of the Wild, An Incident at the Border (Òran Mór), Barflies (Grid Iron), David Leddy’s Untitled Love
Story and Doubt, and Days of Wine and Roses (Theatre Jezebel).
Alex Mann - Egham
Alex’s previous work for the National Theatre of Scotland includes the 2011 and 2013 tours of
Dunsinane (with Royal Shakespeare Company) and for the Royal Shakespeare Company Shakespeare
in a Suitcase. Other theatre work includes Strangers on a Train (English Theatre Frankfurt), The Miser
(Watermill, Newbury), Chavs (Lyric, Hammersmith), Sunday is the New Saturday (Edinburgh Festival
Fringe), The Art of Success, New England, The Permanent Way and The Cherry Orchard (London
Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)).
VENUE INFORMATION
Venue: Carolina Performing Arts, Memorial Hall, 114 E. Cameron Ave. Chapel Hill, NC
Dates: 29 – 30 January
Website: www.carolinaperformingarts.org
Venue: Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC
Dates: 3 - 21 February
Website: www.shakespearetheatre.org
Venue: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 800 E Grand Ave, Chicago.
Dates: 26 February – 22 March
Website: www.chicagoshakes.com
Venue: Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA
Dates: 27 March – 5 April
Website: www.thewallis.org
For further information contact:
Emma Schad – Press Manager
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9016 +44 (0)7930308018 E: emma.schad@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Clare McCormack – Press Officer
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9497/ +44 (0)7989 950871 E: clare.mccormack@nationaltheatrescotland.com
You can follow the National Theatre of Scotland’s press office on Twitter @NTS_press
Join the conversation: #Dunsinane
Notes to Editor:

The National Theatre of Scotland is dedicated to playing the great stages, arts centres,
village halls, schools and site-specific locations of Scotland, the UK and internationally. As
well creating ground-breaking productions and working with the most talented theatremakers, the National Theatre of Scotland produces significant community engagement
projects, innovates digitally and works constantly to develop new talent. Central to this is
finding pioneering ways to reach current and new audiences and to encourage people’s full
participation in the Company’s work. With no performance building of its own, the Company
works with existing and new venues and companies to create and tour theatre of the highest
quality. Founded in 2006, the Company, in its short life, has become a globally significant
theatrical player, with an extensive repertoire of award-winning work. The National Theatre
of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government. www.nationaltheatrescotland.com

The Royal Shakespeare Company is the world’s most famous theatre company. We create
theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world.
Everyone at the RSC - from actors to technicians, milliners to musicians - plays a part in
creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford
workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our
touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the
RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare’s home town.
We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre.
We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context,
alongside the work of his contemporaries and today’s writers. We have trained generations
of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We
reach 450,000 children and young people annually through our education work across the
UK, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online.