Children’s Theatre Magazine: Macbeth set to open at Bristol’s Tobacco Factory Theatre with several matinees for schools – expect a moving forest, the ghost of Banquo, witches, BLOODY murders and some of Shakespeare’s finest prose

Byharrymottram

 Feb 5, 2026

By Harry Mottram: English GCSE students and their teachers will be interested to see that The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare is to be staged in Bristol in February 2026 as it is one of the texts for this year’s GCSE English Literature. The play runs from 19 Feb – 28 Mar 2026 and has a number of matinees aimed at schools with discounts available.

Written in 1623 the drama is famed for its bloody violence, lies, a ghost, a moving forest, witches and the ambitious couple at the heart of the story who ruthlessly murder their way to become Scotland’s leaders. Loosely based on real events the play is usually seen through an English lens in which Scotland needs to be tamed – coming as it did when James from north of the border succeeded Elizabeth as monarch in London.

The play has been regularly staged in the UK and is one of the Bard’s most famous dramas with numerous film versions. The main photo is of the cast in Bristol in rehearsals.

Below are details from the Tobacco Factory Theatre:

“Blood will have blood.” – Act III, scene 4 

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a ruthless exploration of ambition, power, and the cost of forsaking the greater good. When Macbeth hears a prophecy that he is destined to rule, his desire for power overrides loyalty, love, and reason. Together with Lady Macbeth, he steps over the threshold of conscience – and into a world where guilt festers, trust is shattered, and violence begets violence. 

This is the story of a man who betrays his own moral compass in pursuit of status – and finds that once ambition replaces love, there is no way back. Set against a backdrop of political turmoil and supernatural dread, Macbeth speaks urgently to our own times: when individualism triumphs over community, the consequences are irreversible. 

Directed by Tobacco Factory Theatres’ Artistic Director Heidi Vaughan, this bold new production is charged with her signature ensemble approach – rooted in collaboration, humanity, and emotional depth. Darkly pagan in tone, the soundscape beats with the rhythm of ritual and prophecy: “A drum, a drum! Macbeth doth come!” And though the play descends into shadow, Heidi’s work always seeks out the spark of resilience – leaving audiences provoked, moved, and unexpectedly uplifted. 

• RUNNING TIME2 hours 30 minutes (incl. interval
• AGE RECOMMENDATION12+
• VENUEFactory Theatre

Evening performances 7.30pm
Matinee performances 1pm (Schools only) & 2pm
Click on Buy Tickets for all performance times

TICKET PRICES:
Give the Gift Tickets from £22 / Standard Tickets from £18 / Concession Tickets from £16

Schools Tickets from £15 (see below for further information)

Tickets at https://tobaccofactorytheatres.com/book/?webEventId=5560&facilitated_booking=0

SCHOOL MATINEES
The following performances are schools’ shows:

Tue 26th February 1pm
Tue 3rd March 1pm
Thu 5th March 1pm
Tue 10th March 1pm
Thu 12th March 1pm
Tue 17th March 1pm
Thu 19th March 1pm

If you would like to make a group booking for one of these performances, please email our Box Office at tickets@tobaccofactorytheatres.com

Children’s Theatre

Children’s Theatre Magazine is an occasional online publication with reviews, previews, news and features.  For more details visit http://www.harrymottram.co.uk/childrens-theatre/

For details for the work of the journalist Harry Mottram visit www.harrymottram.co.uk

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Or email him at harryfmottram@gmail.com

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What’s on: Egg Theatre

Box Office: 01225 448844 and the egg: 01225 823409

Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath BA1 1ET England, UK 

What’s on: Egg Theatre

Fri 30 Feb. Play Time: The Enchanted Forest. 10am, 11.30am & 1.30pm. All Tickets: £6.50. Play-along theatre adventures for 2-6 year olds and their grownups. Join Ratty and friends for a fun, relaxed participatory theatre session. This weeks adventure is The Enchanted Forest – come along on a magical adventure through the woods… There’ll be silliness, play-acting, games and music in this play-along theatre adventure… Expect to play, move, watch and laugh. Ratty has a lot of ideas but sometimes things don’t go according to plan….can you help her by playing along and working together? A fun and gentle introduction to theatre with play-along storytelling, original music, puppetry, theatre games, movement, and lots of imaginative play. Sessions last 1 hour, and are created for ages 2-6 and their grown-ups. Younger and older siblings welcome! The Last Baguette makes entertaining, accessible and eccentric work for family audiences.

Thu 12-Sat 14 Mar. All Honey. Performed by Bath Spa University. By Ciara Elizabeth Smyth. Directed by Emma Williams. Presented by Bath Spa Productions. A house-warming party unravels into a whirlwind of secrets, shifting loyalties and unexpected confessions in this fast, funny and sharply observed modern comedy. Join Bath Spa University’s talented cast of third-year BA Acting students, in collaboration with Theatre, Festival and Event Production students, for this award-winning contemporary Irish play, exposing what happens when friendships fracture, egos flare and every whispered confession risks igniting the whole evening.Thursday: 7.30pm, Friday: 7.30pm, Saturday: 2.30pm. Tickets from: £10 – £12.50 (Students: £5).

Fri 20-Sat 21 Mar. Sycamore Gap. Performed by Young People as part of NT Connections Festival 2026. By Al Smith. A whodunnit about the felling of the Robin Hood Tree at Sycamore Gap. Set on the day after the felling, the local police are ‘in school’ conducting an investigation. The twelve members of the school’s eco-club are held in a classroom, being taken out and interviewed one by one, until the culprit cracks and confesses. While they wait for their turn, the pupils interrogate each other. Who could have done something so monstrous? What possible motivation could they have had? What impact will it have on their club and their community, now that the tree is gone? And will it be possible for any of them to move on? Alongside a professional creative team, our company of young actors and theatremakers will create their unique version of new Connections script Sycamore Gap.

Sat 7-Sun 8 and Mon 23 Mar. Play Time: – A Woodland Wonder. Play-along theatre adventures for 2-6 year olds and their grownups. Join Ratty and friends for a fun, relaxed participatory theatre session. This weeks adventure is A Woodland Wonder – learn about the environment and plant your very own seeds! There’ll be silliness, play-acting, games and music in this play-along theatre adventure… Expect to play, move, watch and laugh. Ratty has a lot of ideas but sometimes things don’t go according to plan….can you help her by playing along and working together? A fun and gentle introduction to theatre with play-along storytelling, original music, puppetry, theatre games, movement, and lots of imaginative play. Sessions last 1 hour, and are created for ages 2-6 and their grown-ups. Younger and older siblings welcome! The Last Baguette makes entertaining, accessible and eccentric work for family audiences. 10am, 11.30am & 1.30pm. All Tickets: £6.50.

Sat 28 – Mon 30 Mar. Macbeth. Presented by Box Clever. Shakespeare’s exploration of the equivocation of evil and the unleashing of its brutal, destructive force is brought vividly to life by Box Clever in this physically and emotionally charged production. Vibrant language and physical theatre chart the devastating effect that one act of evil can have on an otherwise honourable and loyal man – we see how the ripples of that act spread to destroy both Macbeth himself and all those for whom he cared. As their actions are challenged by a third character who also brings the wider world of the play to life, Macbeth and his wife are seen to become ever more prey to the devastating horrors they have unleashed as they move inevitably towards their doom. Box Clever is supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Saturday: 11.30am & 3pm. Sunday: 11.30am & 3pm. Monday: 10am & 1pm. Relaxed performance: Sunday 3pm. Tickets from: £10 – £12.50. Schools (Monday only). £8.50 each plus one free teacher per 10 tickets booked (11th ticket free). Running Time: 1 hour, no interval. Post-show discussion – Monday 1pm.

Fri 10 and Sat 11 Apr. The Tempest. Performed by Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School. The Tempest brings fresh energy and bold imagination to Shakespeare’s The Tempest in this dynamic reimagining for the New Waves festival. Guided by a professional Director, the Theatre School ensemble dives deep into the text, reshaping and reclaiming it through their own perspectives. Electrifying and thought-provoking, this production breathes new life into a timeless classic, inviting audiences to see Shakespeare’s island with renewed curiosity. Friday: 2pm & 6pm, Saturday: 2pm & 6pm, Tickets from: £10 – £12.50.