Be sure you're insured when you next watch "Macbeth."

Going to watch "Macbeth" can be fatal! Part of the way to save yourself from shuffling off this mortal coil in an untimely way is not to call this play, "Macbeth," but to call it the "M" or "the Scottish play." Perhaps it is because of the abundance of the motifs of evil, blood, magic and murder that there are so many superstitions about this play - probably more than in any other play that Shakespeare wrote. At the end of this 2-part article I will tell you how to protect yourself from this play's deadly influences.

Below is a list of what happened to various unfortunate people who took part in the play or who came to watch it. All of the following incidents are true so you have been warned! 

When it was first acted on 7 August 1606, Hal Berridge, the boy playing Lady Macbeth, died backstage and it is said that Shakespeare took over and played the part himself. In 1672 the actor playing Macbeth in Amsterdam used a real dagger and fatally stabbed King Duncan on stage.

In 1865, President Lincoln met up with some friends to read the play. Next day he went to Ford's theatre...

In 1937 at the Old Vic theatre, London, a 25 pound weight came crashing down from above the stage and just missed hitting Laurence Olivier who was playing Macbeth. Also during this production, the actress playing Lady Macbeth and the producer were involved in a car crash while the famous actress, Lillian Bayliss, died of a heart-attack on the day of the dress rehearsal.

                Macbeth (Orson Welles) instructing the two murderers in the 1949 film 
                                            version which he, Welles, directed. 

Five years later in 1942 three actors playing Duncan and two of the witches died during John Gielguid's production and the set designer committed suicide! In 1947, actor Harold Newman was also stabbed to death when someone substituted a real dagger for a fake one.

In Moscow in the fifties, actor Paul Rogers who was playing Macbeth clashed so violently with Macduff in the final scene that his sword flew out of his hand. It stuck in the seat where USSR President Kruschev was destined to sit three hours later.

Nearer home to England, the Dublin theatre company manager broke both of his legs during a production of the play, the stage electrician electrocuted himself and the actor playing Banquo committed suicide.

It was during this period that while the scenery for the play was being unloaded in Cape Town, a stranger asked which play was being made ready. "Macbeth" came the answer. As soon as the cursed name was said, a bundle of spears was dislodged from the ramp and the stranger was speared to death!

1971 was almost a fatal year. Two fires and seven robberies occured during David Learie's production and Roman Polanski's filming of the play was also riddled with danger. A cameraman was nearly killed on location during the first day of filming. In addition, Kenneth Tynan, the theatre critic noted that when one little girl on the set when Lady Macduff and her son were murdered was asked, "What is your name?"
she replied, "Sharon." (Tate?)

This list goes on unto the 21st century which I'll deal with next time as well as giving you a FREE "Anti-Macbeth" insurance policy.

For comments write to: wsdavidyoung@gmail.com