Stripped down Macbeth will be a stretch for actors

of the most frequently produced of Shakespeare's plays, largely because it has always been popular with audiences and generally fills theatres. There are a number of good reasons for this. It has some the most memorable of the great Shakespearean soliloquies, compelling dramatic characters, and an always relevant theme in the corrosive effect on character of ambition and power. It has enough roles for a large cast, but can also be reduced to accommodate a small one. A cynic might also point out that even uncut, it is relatively short, leaving more time to grab dinner after the show.

It is possible that it was originally a longer work, and that some of the text has been lost. We do not know the early performance history of what superstitious actors call "the Scottish play", although given that Banquo was an ancestor of King James I of England and VI of Scotland it is a fairly safe bet that it was within his reign. Shakespeare liked to keep his royal patrons happy.

It has been trotted out fairly often over the years in Hong Kong, but, as the director of the latest interpretation, Sweet and Sour Productions' Candice Moore points out, usually on a larger stage than that of the Fringe Underground. "I've been wanting to do it for quite a while because it's one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, and also because of the Scottish element [Moore is a Scot]. It just seemed like the right time to do it. I've cut it down to 16 roles, covered by seven actors. It was a case of stripping everything down to the bare essentials."

In addition to stressing the play's Scottishness through kilts, tartan and accents, Moore is also emphasising the supernatural elements and the roles of the three witches. "The witches will be in amongst the audience and surrounding the audience as much as possible. My idea is that as soon as the audience comes in, they're very much in the world of the play. The theatre is being decorated as part of the set design, and the witches take charge," says Moore.

Among the biggest challenges she faced when developing the production were cutting the text, and allocating the roles so that five of the seven actors can handle multiple parts without confusion. "It was hard to decide what would stay and what would go, and I discussed it at length with the actors. I've seen Shakespeare cut in ways that make it difficult to follow. I've cut this down to one hour and 45 minutes, and always at the forefront of my mind was how clear it would be to the audience," she says.