Foul is fair: stunning shots of Shakespeare's Macbeth – in pictures

As the RSC’s production starring Christopher Eccleston is broadcast on BBC Four, take a look back at some of the most arresting stagings of the ‘Scottish play’

Main image: Peter Woodward and Nichola McAuliffe in Macbeth in 1991. Photograph: Tristram Kenton/The Guardian

  • Ralph Richardson, as Macbeth, calls a toast at the banquet in a 1952 production directed by John Gielgud at the Shakespeare Memorial theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
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    Ralph Richardson, as Macbeth, calls a toast at the banquet in a 1952 production directed by John Gielgud at the Shakespeare Memorial theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.

  • Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier star in a production in 1955 at the Shakespeare Memorial theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by Glen Byam Shaw and designed by Roger Furse.
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    Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier star in a production in 1955 at the Shakespeare Memorial theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by Glen Byam Shaw and designed by Roger Furse.

  • Trevor Nunn’s 1974 RSC production, with Nicol Williamson in the title role and Helen Mirren as Lady Macbeth.
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    Trevor Nunn’s 1974 RSC production, with Nicol Williamson in the title role and Helen Mirren as Lady Macbeth.

  • Ian McKellen and Judi Dench as the Macbeths at the RSC’s Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1976.
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    Ian McKellen and Judi Dench as the Macbeths at the RSC’s Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, in 1976.

  • Miles Anderson at the Barbican, London, in an RSC production directed by Adrian Noble in 1989.
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    Miles Anderson at the Barbican, London, in an RSC production directed by Adrian Noble in 1989.

  • Wu Hsing-kuo, centre, in The Kingdom of Desire by Lee Huei-min, based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, at the National Theatre, London, in 1990.
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    Wu Hsing-kuo, centre, in The Kingdom of Desire by Lee Huei-min, based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, at the National Theatre, London, in 1990.

  • Peter Woodward as Macbeth and Nichola McAuliffe as Lady Macbeth at the Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, London, directed by William Gaunt in 1991.
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    Peter Woodward as Macbeth and Nichola McAuliffe as Lady Macbeth at the Regent’s Park Open Air theatre, London, directed by William Gaunt in 1991.

  • Cheryl Campbell (Lady Macbeth) and Derek Jacobi (Macbeth) in an RSC production at the Barbican, London, directed by Adrian Noble in 1993.
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    Cheryl Campbell (Lady Macbeth) and Derek Jacobi (Macbeth) in an RSC production at the Barbican, London, directed by Adrian Noble in 1993.

  • Alan Howard and Anastasia Hille at the National Theatre, London, directed by Richard Eyre in 1993.
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    Alan Howard and Anastasia Hille star in Macbeth at the National Theatre, London, directed by Richard Eyre in 1993.

  • Helen McCrory (Lady Macbeth) and Lennie James (Macbeth) at the Tricycle theatre in London, directed by Nicolas Kent in 1995.
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    Helen McCrory (Lady Macbeth) and Lennie James (Macbeth) at the Tricycle theatre, London, directed by Nicolas Kent in 1995.

  • Mark Rylance as Macbeth and Jane Horrocks as Lady Macbeth at Greenwich theatre, London, directed by Rylance in 1995.
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    Mark Rylance is Macbeth and Jane Horrocks Lady Macbeth at Greenwich theatre, London, directed by Rylance in 1995.

  • Umabatha: the Zulu Macbeth, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth into the tribal Zulu culture of the early 19th century, was written and directed by Welcome Msomi at Shakespeare’s Globe in 1997.
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    Umabatha: the Zulu Macbeth, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth into the tribal Zulu culture of the early 19th century, was written and directed by Welcome Msomi at Shakespeare’s Globe in 1997.

  • Pete Postlethwaite at Bristol Old Vic, directed by George Costigan, in 1997.
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    Pete Postlethwaite at Bristol Old Vic, directed by George Costigan, in 1997.

  • Gregory Doran’s 1997 RSC production at the Swan theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter.
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    Gregory Doran’s 1997 RSC production at the Swan theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with Antony Sher and Harriet Walter.

  • Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood at London’s Gielgud theatre in 2007, directed by Rupert Goold.
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    Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood at the Gielgud theatre, London, in 2007, directed by Rupert Goold.

  • David Morrissey and Julia Ford at the Liverpool Everyman in 2011.
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    David Morrissey and Julia Ford at the Liverpool Everyman in 2011.

  • Joseph Millson with, from left to right, Moyo Akandé, Cat Simmons and Jess Murphy as the witches at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, in 2013, directed by Eve Best.
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    Joseph Millson with, from left to right: Moyo Akandé, Cat Simmons and Jess Murphy as the witches at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, in 2013, directed by Eve Best.

  • John Heffernan and Anna Maxwell Martin in Carrie Cracknell and Lucy Guerin’s Young Vic version in 2015.
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    John Heffernan and Anna Maxwell Martin in Carrie Cracknell and Lucy Guerin’s Young Vic version in 2015.

  • Ray Fearon and Tara Fitzgerald at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, directed by Iqbal Khan, in 2016.
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    Ray Fearon and Tara Fitzgerald at Shakespeare’s Globe, London, directed by Iqbal Khan, in 2016.

  • Charlene Boyd and Keith Fleming in The Macbeths at the Citizens, Glasgow, in 2017, Dominic Hill’s distillation of the Shakespeare tragedy.
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    Charlene Boyd and Keith Fleming in The Macbeths at the Citizens, Glasgow in 2017, Dominic Hill’s distillation of the Shakespeare tragedy.

  • Masachika Ichimura and Yūko Tanaka in Yukio Ninagawa’s version at the Barbican, London, in 2017.
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    Masachika Ichimura and Yūko Tanaka in Yukio Ninagawa’s version at the Barbican, London, in 2017.

  • Christopher Eccleston at the Royal Shakespeare theatre, directed by Polly Findlay, in 2018.
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    Christopher Eccleston at the Royal Shakespeare theatre, directed by Polly Findlay, in 2018.

  • Isabel Adomakoh Young plays Lady Macbeth and Olivia Dowd is Macbeth in the National Youth Theatre production at the Garrick theatre, London, in 2018, directed by Natasha Elizabeth Nixon.
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    Isabel Adomakoh Young plays Lady Macbeth and Olivia Dowd is Macbeth in the National Youth Theatre production at the Garrick theatre, London, in 2018, directed by Natasha Nixon.

  • Rory Kinnear at the National Theatre, London, directed by Rufus Norris in 2018.
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    Rory Kinnear at the National Theatre, London, directed by Rufus Norris in 2018.

  • John Simm and Dervla Kirwan at Chichester Festival theatre in 2019.
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    John Simm and Dervla Kirwan at Chichester Festival theatre in 2019.

  • Billy Postlethwaite and Emma McDonald at the Watermill theatre, Newbury, directed by Paul Hart in 2019.
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    Billy Postlethwaite and Emma McDonald at the Watermill theatre, Newbury, directed by Paul Hart in 2019.
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