I have loved Shakespeare since I saw a production of The Tempest at Belvoir Street Theatre in 1990, starring John Bell as Prospero and directed by Neil Armfield. I loved this production so much, in fact, that I saw it seven times, with my mum giving me the money for the ticket and dropping me off out the front. I was so completely transported by the language, by the story, that I began reading the complete works of Shakespeare. I didn’t understand every word, but it didn’t matter. The way he used language, the characters he created, and the stories he wove, excited me so much that I became, at 12, a total Shakespeare tragic.

I have never seen his plays as intellectual, or elite. They were written for the masses, and while the language can at times feel dense and difficult to understand, the stories aren’t, if you just relax and let it flow over you.

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This is why I was so excited to work with Lakespeare, a company that strives to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone. It wasn’t designed to be performed in a hushed, dark theatre (although this can also be incredible)- but to be presented outside, while enjoying a picnic, with the freedom to talk, laugh and walk around if you want to.

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When I was approached to direct the 2025 production, I immediately suggested Macbeth, a departure from the comedies that Lakespeare is famous for. But this story is broad, fast, and exciting enough to compete with the birds, the traffic, and the weather.  It is what I like to refer to as gateway Shakespeare, because the story is easy to follow, it is sharp and the shortest of his tragedies, and a good way to introduce someone to his plays. It also features one of the greatest characters written for a woman in Lady Macbeth. She has power, and agency, which are characteristics more often written for men. The suggestion that she would have taken her own life has never sat right with me, and so in my Macbeth, she is murdered on the orders of her husband. This choice is supported by the text, and for me is a much more fitting end to such a complex, and powerful, character.

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While it has been tricky to balance a spooky, murderous plot set in the gothic splendour of Scotland with a play being presented outdoors in an Australian summer, this phenomenal cast has made the story come alive and transcend time and place. Our production is set in Scotland, in no particular time, and designed to feel like it is being presented by a group of travelling players, who carry their worlds on their backs. This supports The Q’s ethos of sustainability, with costuming and props sourced from our existing stock, or purchased second hand, reducing this productions footprint.

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We have had a lot of fun bringing this show to life, with more laughter in rehearsal than is perhaps appropriate for the subject matter. I am incredibly lucky to have been given the chance to direct one of may favourite plays, by one of my favourite playwrights, and I am grateful to the team from Lakespeare for trusting me, and to my beautiful cast for their dedication, their talent, and their creativity.

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​Jordan Best (She/her/hers)
Artistic Director and Arts Centre Manager
The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre

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