The 2007 Season of the Swan Theatre at the RSC will see a new ensemble performing Eugene Ionesco’s ‘Macbett’, the surrealist and darkly funny re-envisioning of the famous tragedy. ‘Macbett’ is directed by the acclaimed Romanian theatre artist Silviu Purcarete, in an English version by Tanya Ronder. This play will be presented alongside Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, directed by Conall Morrison.

Silviu Purcarete has worked in Romanian and European theatre for more than twenty years, most notably for the National Theatre of Craiova and Theatre Bulandra in Bucharest. His productions have won many awards and great critical acclaim both in Romania and abroad. In 1996 Purcarete became Director of the Centre Dramatique National de Limoges for whom his productions have included ‘Oresteia’, ‘Three Sisters’ and ‘Don Juan’. Opera credits include ‘La Boheme’ (Essen), ‘Parsifal’ (Scottish Opera coproduction with WNO), Donizetti’s ‘ Roberto Devereux’ (Wiener Staatsoper) and Rameau’s ‘Castor et Pollux’ (Opera Bonn).

His work has been seen extensively in the UK and includes ‘The Decameron’, ‘Phaedra’ and Aeschylus’ ‘Danaides’ (Glasgow), ‘Oresteia’ (Lyric Hammersmith), ‘Ubu Rex’ (Edinburgh International Festival) and ‘The Tempest’ (Nottingham Playhouse). In 2005 Purcarete directed ‘Scapino’ or ‘The Trickster’ at Chichester Festival Theatre. Last year his show ‘Twelfth Night’, a National Theatre of Craiova production, was presented during the Bath Shakespeare Festival 2006.

“Purcarete… is a name we will not be able to forget.” New York Post (review for ‘Les Danaides’)
“Stunning talent from Romania ” Observer (review for ‘Phaedra’)

‘Macbett’ by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Silviu Purcarete, will play from May to July 2007 at The Swan Theatre, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6BB. Tickets went on sale for the general public from 5 February 2007, on Box office 0870 609 1110, in person, or online at www.rsc.org.uk.