Interview: Macbeth made fun for families in a musical, craft-along cardboard adventure
Angus Tikka on making MakeBeth at Shakespeare’s Globe
There’ve been thousands of versions of Macbeth in the past, but have you ever seen one created by the audience – from cardboard? Well wait no more, as that’s exactly what’s planned this autumn at Shakespeare’s Globe. MakeBeth is a creative craft-along from the fabulous team at Cardboard Adventures that invites families to get hands on, joining in to help make props and puppets themselves. That sounds pretty exciting doesn’t it? We cut no corners and called up performer Angus Tikka to find out just what to expect.
Hi Angus. Thanks so much for stopping by to tell us about MakeBeth. What can you tell us about the show and how it reimagines one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays for families?
Hello there! MakeBeth is a multidisciplinary telling of Shakespeare’s most famous story aimed at first-time Shakespeare-goers. We use design and music collaboratively with our audiences to give a rich first taste of this iconic story.
Artistic excellence is at the core of this adaptation, which is written by Hannah Khalil alongside amazing cardboard designer Sam Wilde and directed by the fabulous Ian Nicholson. How’s it been working with such a top team of creatives?
It has been great. Nice to be reminded that people who are excellent at what they do are just people. Weird and wonderful people. But people none-the-less.
What’s your role in the production, and who else in in the cast with you?
I am one of three actor-musicians who not only perform the show, but wrote the (absolutely banging) music. There’s myself and Harry Miller, joined by Celia Cruwys-Finnigan on this leg. Harry plays the mandolin, I the guitar – all whilst singing in Scottish traditional-inspired harmony which I draw from my own Scottish culture. We’re really excited to be working with Celia this time and its going to be lovely to see what she’ll be bringing to the team – new blood and new instruments! Sometimes only one of us is playing and/or singing, and at other times we combine as a full band. Disclaimer: you will have the music stuck in your head after the show. Apologies. And you’re welcome.
Can you tell us about creating the music for the production?
Of course! We basically brainstormed our way through it using Hannah’s evocative and poetic Shakespeare-inspired lyric writing as a springboard. We gave many musical offers to Ian and Sam who helped us finesse out ideas – less energy here, more there, something different please, etc.
How are the audience encouraged to get involved and can anyone do it?
Well, we, as witches, try telling the story of Macbeth but, and there’s no easy way to say it, we aren’t very good at our jobs. Handily, the audiences help us by making things out of cardboard to help us on our way! Absolutely anyone can take part – there are no wrong answers in creating. We provide special tools for working with the cardboard that are safe to handle, alongside sticky-tape and coloured pens. The things our audience create vary hugely; three- or two-dimensional, detailed or minimal, but most importantly it is always something that comes from the audience member’s own imagination (which we facilitate as part of the show).
Shakespeare’s Globe are rightly proud of their record of sustainable theatremaking. Tell us how MakeBeth works alongside this and what the kids in the audience might make of that message.
Well, almost everything we use is made of cardboard, so creating art using what most would consider disposable might spark thoughts of what waste we produce and how we might engage positively with that waste.
Will the cardboard get wet on the Globe’s outdoor stage?
Cardboard and rain certainly don’t make the best of friends but luckily it won’t be a problem for us! We will be performing inside one of the Globe’s studio spaces.
What are you hoping families will recycle from their visit to MakeBeth when they leave the theatre? That there is a creative life in all objects; that a cereal box need not be only a cereal box – it can be a crown, a frog, a piece of armour, a mask, anything!
Now we’re really excited to see the show! Thanks very much to Angus for giving us the lowdown on this murderous, musical makeathon.
MakeBeth is aimed at ages 7+ and runs at Shakespeare’s Globe from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November.
