11 Nov 2026
Where shall we three meet again? Well Deborah Heath is at The Barn theatre for OVO’s version of the Scottish play…
With ‘Macbeth’, OVO made a superb choice for the opening show in their new Barn space; timing Shakespeare’s supernatural thriller with Halloween season. Of course, the autumn brings with it some weather challenges, and if like me, your initial attempt to see this show was thwarted by the (now mended) leaking roof, entering the space for the first time became particularly exciting.
There is something very raw and exposing about this 17th century Grade II listed barn. The fact it isn’t fully converted gave the audience a feeling of being let in on a secret, and sitting together in a small space surrounding the central stage felt even more intimate than a standard staging in the round.
OVO provided cushioned chairs and blankets which were welcome as the light faded and the air got nippy – something that actually added to the atmosphere and put us suitability on edge as the play unfolded.
I saw the first incarnation of Adam Nichols’ superb adaptation in The Maltings some years ago so was already prepared for the circular raised central stage. However, this didn’t lessen my delight as the witches’ limbs emergence from the concealed central core, along with steam from their cauldron.
This core, sometimes covered, sometimes open, also became a table and a means of exit. It was manually turned by the witches as if they were mixing the characters into the potion of the story – a marvellous piece of storytelling from designer Simon Nicholas.
The addition of the three scaffold towers was another pleasing idea which enabled moments such as “Is this a dagger I see before me?” to shine with a witch holding it in the air in front of Macbeth. Maddie Powell’s costumes were a good mix of timeless pieces and I particularly liked Lady Macbeth’s sparkly black number, although the low light levels meant I couldn’t see them as well as I would have liked.
As one has come to expect from OVO, the play was extremely well cast. Maisie Armah, Grace Bassett and Flora Squires as the three witches were our almost constant companions and did a marvellous job of keeping us involved. Emma Wright’s strong Lady Macbeth was perfectly balanced showing adoration, ambition and remorse and opposite her, Ludovic Hughes in the title role gave a superb performance. The rest of the company, including two young performers, were extremely talented and I am sorry I cannot mention them all.
OVO’s new performance space is utterly charming and feels like a great home for any period piece.
There are still some practical issues to overcome such as mitigating the sound of actors’ footfall as they walk around the space which occasionally drowned out some lines. It really is extremely dark in the Barn and some of the lights were positioned in a way that shone directly into the audience’s eyes. I can only begin to imagine how difficult it is to rig lighting from a listed building and feel confident that this problem will be addressed in future productions.
Going to see ‘Macbeth’ in OVO’s new home is well worth the outing. You can of course expect a wonderful piece of entertainment and a well-adapted script but there is something special about this new space that gives the play an edge. I can’t wait to see how their “free range theatre” idea will work out and will shortly be booking my ticket for “’A Christmas Carol’.
If you would like a new experience, grab yourself a ticket to The Barn, enjoy some of their lovely food and drink and open your minds up to something a bit different.
