Rona Morison joins David Tennant in a bold and gripping new production of Macbeth, bringing Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy to life with a fresh intensity. Starring as Lady Macduff, Morison delivers a powerful performance as the ambitious and tormented wife who spurs her husband into a spiral of ruthless ambition and guilt. Known for her captivating stage presence, Morison’s portrayal brings a unique complexity to the role, balancing steely determination with moments of vulnerability as the consequences of her actions unravel. Alongside Tennant’s Macbeth, the dynamic between the two creates a thrilling, tense atmosphere that redefines the classic tale for modern audiences. This production promises to be a dark, mesmerising retelling of the Scottish play, with Morison at the heart of its emotional core.

Hey Rona! Congratulations on your new project, ‘Macbeth,’ opposite Doctor Who legend David Tennant. It’s been mentioned that the audience will be wearing headphones to experience the story of Macbeth. What can you tell us about this? Have you had the experience with headphones?

Thank you!  We’re incredibly fortunate to have the amazing sound designer Gareth Fry on board, who’s crafted an immersive soundscape for the audience using binaural sound. This technique creates a 3D audio experience, where voices and sounds seem to come from all around your head—sometimes even as close as a whisper in your ear. It really allows us to play with the intimacy of the scenes, sometimes speaking very quietly onstage, which almost mixes the world of stage and screen.

During rehearsals, we got to experience snippets of how certain scenes sound through the headphones. On stage, we hear very little, which makes it a really unique experience, as the audience will be hearing something completely different from what we do.

What drew you to 'Macbeth'?

Lots of things, I loved the idea of the concept. Macbeth has been done so many times before and I don’t think there’s any point in staging a production unless there’s something different about it. The sound element really drew me in. I have also worked with Director,
Max Webster before and I knew we would be in safe hands with Max at the helm. I also think the Donmar Warehouse is one of the best buildings an actor can play in. Not only do they put on really exciting things, but they also try to make theatre accessible for all and
treat the companies of their shows with lots of kindness and support. This, for me, was a huge pull!

How is this show different to any Macbeth show that has been played?

I think, again, going back to the sound element, its filmic and it allows you to be completely on your own (in a good way) watching a story in a room full of people. But also, David Tennant brings something to Macbeth I haven’t seen before. That’s what’s exciting about Macbeth, there’s so many ways to play the character.

You’ve done so many theatre shows in your career. What would you say is different this time around?

Every show is different, the companies always make that happen, which is amazing but I would say we all get on so well, it’s a very jovial, naughty, (Scottish!) rehearsal room which is nice to do the Scottish play with Scottish people.

What made you decide to become an actor? 

I like the way it made me feel when acting. I did some youth theatre, but not loads. I wasn’t ever like, this is going to be my career from when I was like 5 or anything, but as I got older, I loved expressing emotion through characters. We had no drama dept in my school, so I sort
of just auditioned for drama school on a whim and I don’t really know how, but I got in! It’s a wonderful but tough profession and I still get the same feelings now I had when I started.

 Are there any dream roles you would love to play?

I know this sounds made up because of the play I’m doing, but I want to play Macbeth. I have always wanted to play it, and actually, I think it would work well with Macbeth being a female; there are some plot logistics, but nothing that can’t be worked! (maybe I’ll ask David if
he would like me to step in one night...!)

If you had the opportunity to ReVamp anything in the world, what would it be and why?

This is a tricky question, so many things, but funding for the arts. Particularly theatre!