SHAKESPEARE’S classic tale of greed, power and ambition, has such a powerful presence that for generations superstitious thespians have dared not speak its name.

To this day the acting profession is full of cowering luvvies who refer to it only as ‘the Scottish play’.

A new production of Macbeth opens at the Lighthouse Poole from Wednesday until Friday.

A firm favourite with audiences, the tension in this drama is apparent from the opening moments on the heath and Macbeth’s chilling encounter with the three witches.

A gripping masterpiece, it continues to enthrall with the murder of Duncan, the scramble for power and the descent into madness driven on by supernatural powers. Creating a taut psychodrama that crackles with a wild electricity, brought alive by the sonic experiments of composer and guitarist Bic Hayes and sound designer Jules Bushell.

In a land almost afraid to know itself, in a country where unnatural deeds are commonplace, and where the night is filled with a restless ecstasy, Shakespeare's tragedy of ambition and guilt unfolds.

Characters appear and disappear from the shadows as part of a nightmarish vision, played out under an immense canopy of darkness.

Building on the success of their Tempest, this Macbeth employs sparse staging and creates unique atmospheres whilst keeping the play intact, compelling and fresh.