Macbeth Retold at George Street Chapel
Kristy Stott, Theatre EditorBook now
Macbeth Retold
Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
A storm is coming to Oldham this November. Debs Newbold’s Macbeth Retold – a sell-out hit at Shakespeare’s Globe – brings the darkness, poetry and power of one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies into a sharp, fresh focus.
Newbold is a master storyteller. Her one-woman retelling of Macbeth distills the much-studied tragedy down to its raw themes of ambition, prophecy, murder and guilt. Packing a punch, and using only her voice, movement and an extraordinary sense of rhythm, she conjures battlefields, witches and haunted halls – pulling audiences deep into the world of Scotland’s doomed king. The result is tense, gripping and utterly immersive.
As part of Oldham Coliseum’s off-site season, Macbeth Retold transforms the atmospheric setting of George Street Chapel into a place of menace and magic. It’s an inspired programming choice – an acclaimed five-star show brought right into the community, keeping everything we love about Oldham Coliseum alive while the historic venue undergoes refurbishment ahead of its 2026 reopening.
Critics have hailed Newbold’s solo work for its emotional intensity and inventive storytelling, describing her as “unfeasibly talented” and “a performer who can summon whole worlds with a word.” Having wowed audiences across the UK and beyond, she brings her acclaimed retelling north – a chance for Manchester and Oldham audiences to experience Macbeth like never before.
No sets, no special effects – just a spellbinding performer, a timeless story and the electricity of live storytelling. A tale of power and downfall perfectly stripped back to its essence.
