The company's May 2007 Theatre Supper is Elsie & Norm's "Macbeth" by John Christopher-Wood.  The Theatre Upstairs is again hosting another of its popular theatre supper evenings for the three nights of Friday 11 - Sunday 13 May 2007.  All performances commence at 7:30pm.

Tickets are available now at £20 (inclusive of 2-course dinner) from the Next Stage Box Office on 01225 428600 (email: nextstagebath@aol.com).

The Play

Fed up with playing Trivial Pursuit and watching re-runs of Dynasty and Murder She Wrote, Yorkshire couple Elsie and Norm decide to go for a bit of culture and stage some Shakespeare in their living room.  Of course, it needs a bit of re-writing to liven it up, and it’s a bit of a push with just the two of them playing all those characters – but it’s all worth it for one of the greatest pieces of literature what has ever been wrote in the English language.

Following the immense success of his last Supper Theatre production (Two by Jim Cartwright in May 2006), director Paul Dyson, a founder member of Next Stage, returns to broad comedy in this wickedly irreverent contemporary send up of Shakespeare's great play.

Those who saw Two will remember how a seasoned cast of only two actors took on no less than fourteen roles – well, Elsie and Norm are the entire cast in their own living room production of one of the greatest plays in English literature.

Norm (and therefore Macbeth, Malcolm and a whole bunch of other characters) is played by Steve Leanaghan already well known to audiences for The Champion of Paribanou and Marat/Sade.  Playing Elsie (and King Duncan, Murderer, the one Witch and various Messengers) is Jane Lawson who audiences will recall from Stanley and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.

An evening of irreverent humour, presented by one of the region's pre-eminent theatre companies, with a now famous Next Stage two course supper. What more could you want ?

The Playwright

John Christopher Wood was born in Yorkshire, but has lived in Bath for over twenty-five years.  He was the original Norm when this piece was first presented in 1977, and has since played the part over 250 times. The success of Elsie and Norm's "Macbeth" led to a commission from the Liverpool Everyman for No Holds Bard, with Drew Schofield and Michael Starke.

As an actor John's extensive experience encompasses Bath's Natural Theatre Company, Bristol Express, Show of Strength and his own company, Dramarama.  He has written for all these companies, including The Third Rule, a one man show about Hitler's little known career as a North Country music hall comic.  He is a regular contributor to Venue magazine and Chair of the Bath Fringe.