University Players will launch season with twist on Shakespeare classic Macbeth

The University Players kick off their season with one of Shakespeare's great tragedies – Macbeth Friday. 

Adapted by playwright Erica Schmidt, this rendition of the classic takes on an urban theme amidst a cast of several teenagers.

The dialogue is all Shakespeare - but the story takes on a dynamic and entertaining edge when performed by youth in a stark but present-day setting.

Actors on set of Macbeth in Windsor, Ont. (Source: University Players)

The production opens at Essex Hall theatre on Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and runs until Oct. 1. 

Dian Marie Bridge is the director of the production and the artistic director for the Black Theatre Workshop in Montreal.

Bridge welcomed the challenge of working with a unique and creative adaptation of the classic tale.

Set of Macbeth in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2023. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)

"It's told through the perspective of seven schoolgirls - it's kind of like Heather's meets Dungeons and Dragons, meets ancient Scotland,” said Bridge.

“It's a really stealthy adaptation of the play that parallels also teenage girl dynamics."

Tickets are available online at www.universityplayers.com.