David Tennant and Cush Jumbo Masterpiece MACBETH to Stream Worldwide
When it comes to Shakespeare, most theatregoers have a rough idea of what to expect: ornate costumes, half-lit stages, and that signature rhythmic dialogue. But this MACBETH, directed by Max Webster, flipped the usual formula on its head. At the Donmar Warehouse, audience members wore headphones to capture every whisper, breath, and echo—a bold creative decision that made even the faintest sighs sound like urgent confessions. The result was immersive on an unprecedented level. You felt as though you were perched on Macbeth’s shoulder, hearing the man’s every tortured thought.
The success of that staging trick led to a West End transfer at the end of 2024, where the show broke records, enthralling massive audiences night after night. According to box-office data I managed to dig up, the West End run repeatedly smashed weekly sales targets for Shakespeare revivals. Even more impressive, once the production was filmed for cinema release, it garnered praise from critics who called it “wonderous” and “electrifying.”
Given this track record, it’s unsurprising that MACBETH would eventually find its way onto a streaming platform, offering fans around the globe a chance to witness (or relive) the spectacle. But there’s a subtle twist: while cinema audiences saw a version with a specially mixed soundtrack, the home-streaming cut is set to replicate the immersive audio effect in a way that melds the stage’s intimacy with the clarity of film. Headphones at the ready!
The Star Power Behind the Scenes
You’ve likely heard a buzz or two about David Tennant—the man can seemingly do it all, from time-travelling in Doctor Who to a psychologically entangled detective in Broadchurch. But there’s something about him tackling Shakespeare that consistently lights up the theatre scene. He won the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for this very portrayal of Macbeth, plus a WhatsOnStage Award earlier this year. Critics have praised his ferocity and haunted vulnerability, and if you’ve ever seen him on stage, you’ll know he can pivot in an instant from charming to chilling—perfect for Scotland’s tragic king.
Sharing the spotlight with equal potency is Cush Jumbo. She’s long been a favourite in British theatre circles, with a flair for bringing sharp intelligence to every role she inhabits. Here, she plays Lady Macbeth with an arresting blend of steely resolve and heart-wrenching desperation. She was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for her work in this production, and insiders say her performance could go down as one of the most memorable Lady Macbeths in years.
Beyond the marquee names, the ensemble boasts a roster of exceptional talent, including Rob Alexander-Adams, Moyo Akandé, Annie Grace, Jasmin Hinds, Martyn Hodge, Brian James O’Sullivan, Casper Knopf, Gemma Laurie, Cal MacAninch, Kathleen MacInnes, Alasdair Macrae, Niall MacGregor, Rona Morison, Noof Ousellam, Raffi Phillips, Jatinder Singh Randhawa, Theo Wake, Ros Watt, and Benny Young. Each of these performers, in the words of one stage manager I chatted with, “pours so much emotion into the piece that it feels like a living, breathing realm of ambition and guilt.”
A Headphone Theatre Phenomenon
If you were lucky enough to see the show in person, you might have been struck by the revolutionary idea of wearing headphones as you watched. Some sceptics initially worried about feeling isolated or distracted, but it turned out to be a masterstroke: the technology made it possible to hear the sound of each actor’s heartbeat, or so it seemed. Whenever Macbeth reached for his dagger in the darkness, you heard the subtle shift of his foot on the stage, magnified through your earpiece. Every soft incantation from the witches wrapped around your head like a ghostly echo.
For the streamed version, those intricate audio layers have been remastered to preserve that eerily intimate effect. This means that the sense of closeness—of being in on the darkest secrets—will still be there. In my experience, that’s one of the major draws: you feel complicit in the action. And for a tragedy as psychologically charged as MACBETH, being drawn in so intimately can heighten the emotional stakes beyond your standard living-room watch.
The Global Stream
So, from Tuesday 1 April, MACBETH will land exclusively on Marquee TV, available across the UK, Republic of Ireland, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This marks the first time the play will be widely available for home viewing after its successful cinema release. If you’ve never tried Marquee TV, it’s a platform dedicated to dance, opera, theatre, and everything in between. Their focus on top-tier productions has made them a go-to for culture lovers who can’t always make it to live venues.
Now, some purists might argue there’s nothing like the spontaneity of theatre. And, of course, there’s a point to be made there: you can never fully replicate the tension of an opening night or that shared gasp from a live audience. But the best filmed theatre goes beyond mere documentation. It becomes its own work of art, framing scenes and close-ups in ways you’d never see from the back of the stalls. In this version of MACBETH, the cinematography zeroes in on subtle facial expressions—seeing David Tennant’s eyes dart with doubt, or Cush Jumbo’s jaw clench with ruthless determination.
To support this shift from stage to screen, the creative team includes an array of behind-the-scenes powerhouses. Designed by Rosanna Vize, lit by Bruno Poet, and with sound by the enigmatically mononymous Fry, the show uses its technical foundations to enhance mood and tension. Shelley Maxwell’s movement direction ensures that every twitch and turn contributes to the storytelling, while Macrae’s composition and musical direction add an atmospheric pulse that underscores the action. Fight direction comes courtesy of Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd, whose track record for believable stage combat is legend among theatre practitioners. And let’s not forget the impeccable casting by Anna Cooper, who found performers that slide naturally into Shakespeare’s text like they’ve been speaking it since birth.
A Twist on Tradition
Perhaps the most surprising detail is how the production manages to keep the original play’s sense of intimacy and claustrophobia despite expanding its reach. Often, big-name Shakespeare revivals lean towards grand spectacle—towering sets and star-studded cameo appearances. But Max Webster had a more nuanced goal: to capture the raw psychological unraveling at the core of MACBETH.
A friend of mine who worked backstage revealed a little-known tidbit: the cast had multiple pre-show rituals designed to maintain a razor-sharp emotional focus. One night, they even tested delivering lines in near-pitch darkness, guided only by the eerie glow of specially rigged lanterns. This intense rehearsal technique gave the actors a visceral sense of disorientation—much like their characters. While we may not see every behind-the-scenes experiment in the final cut, the by-product is a performance that feels unbelievably present, as though the witches themselves orchestrated it all to ensnare us.
One Last Dose of the Scottish Play’s Magic
Standing in that Donmar Warehouse foyer months ago, I remember feeling that buzz of conversation crackling like static. People whispered about how the headphone sound design had laid them bare to every nuance, how David Tennant and Cush Jumbo’s chemistry was unlike anything they’d seen in a Shakespeare tragedy. Now, with the production streaming worldwide, a whole new audience can join in that conversation.
MACBETH has been reinterpreted countless times over the centuries. Yet this revival reaffirms why the story endures: it peels back the layers of ambition, guilt, and fate, showing us just how terrifyingly human these characters can be. And in this filmed version, we get to lean in even closer—perhaps closer than ever before. There’s something thrilling, almost subversive, about having such an intimate view of a classic. It reminds us that theatre, at its best, isn’t a dusty relic but a living art form that continually reinvents itself.
Whether you watch it from the comfort of your sofa or with headphones plugged into your laptop, I urge you to let this production draw you into its looming shadows. Prepare for goosebumps. Prepare for moral quandaries that cut to the bone. And prepare to see two outstanding actors deliver performances that have already been etched into the annals of theatrical lore. Because when a show so successfully recreates the ineffable magic of live performance on screen, you’d be daft to let it pass you by. Let MACBETH’s dark prophecy captivate you—just as it has so many countless theatre lovers before. The only question left is: are you ready to surrender to the night’s thick blackness and the seductive power of Shakespeare’s darkest tale?
