A bold and bloody re-telling of Macbeth marks the start of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2026 season, bringing this most visceral of tragedies to the stage in an explosion of high-octane contemporary ballet.
Choreographer Alice Topp (Aurum, Logos, High Tide) focuses on naked ambition, political power and transgression in this new, original staging, bringing Shakespeare’s iconic characters into a shadowy world of manipulation by media, boardroom intrigue and sudden violence.
The seduction of success and adulation give way to doubt, paranoia and madness, with Alice Topp’s mesmerising movement and Christopher Gordon’s pounding new score, performed live by members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, inexorably driving Macbeth and his Lady to a conclusion that is as inevitable as it is devastating.
Book more than one show from our 2026 season through our ‘Subscribe and Save’ package, and save up to 20% on your tickets. (Excludes Dazzlehands).
Behind the scenes
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"An epic story fuelled by political ambition, passion, desire for power and the burden of guilt, Macbeth’s themes are potent and enduring."
Alice Topp
Credits
Choreographer
Alice Topp
Music
Christopher Gordon
Dramaturgy
Ruth Little
Costume Design
Aleisa Jelbart
Set & Lighting Design
Jon Buswell
Conductor
Hamish McKeich
String Ensemble
Musicians of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra