Macbeth: Saoirse Ronan to star as Lady MacBeth in feminist Shakespeare production at the Almeida

Production marks Irish actor’s UK stage debut

Saoirse Ronan will make her stage debut in a feminist production of Macbeth at London’s Almeida Theatre.

The Little Women actor will star as Lady Macbeth opposite her Mary Queen of Scots co-star James McArdle when the show opens in September.

According to the Almeida’s artistic director Rupert Goold, the production will show a “more equivalent relationship” between the Scottish king and his wife in The Tragedy of Macbeth.

The production, which Goold described as a “visceral experience” and is directed by Yaël Farber, was in the works at the London theatre before all venues were forced to shut last spring due to the pandemic.

As of Monday (17 May), theatres are able to reopen at limited capacity with strict safety measures in place.

Theatres must operate with social distancing in place for ticketholders. They must also abide by rules such as enforced wearing of masks in communal areas, staggered entry times, temperature checks on arrival and cleaning of venues between shows.

Venues are typically only selling tickets to singular households or support bubbles up to the rule of six.

McArdle and Ronan worked together on 2018’s Mary Queen of Scots (Getty Images)

Under the government’s current roadmap out of lockdown (which is subject to change), all limits on social contact will be lifted on 21 June.

Theatres will be able to operate at a higher capacity from this stage, although it is unlikely this will be full capacity already.