For almost two decades Shakespeare in the Vines has transported Australian audiences to the world of the Great Bard. Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale is a highlight for Melbourne-based company Essential Theatre on their national tour.

On Sunday 9 February the cellar door’s blossoming gardens will become the stage for the blood-drenched tragedy Macbeth.  

Audiences are invited to set-up on the lawns with picnic hampers and wine, and prepare themselves for a thunderous tale of political ambition, deceit, and assassination. 

We can thank Shakespeare for the word 'assassination', which entered the English language when he penned Macbeth in 1606. The play’s exploration of the mental and physical consequences of seeking power and control is just as gripping for today’s viewers as it was in Elizabethan England. 

This is the original Game of Thrones. 

Macbeth is a general in King Duncan’s army, but he receives a prophecy that he will one day be king of Scotland. Spurred on by his ambitious wife, Macbeth takes fate into his own hands, and so begins an enthralling descent into the realm of murder and madness.

Essential Theatre is run by two powerhouse women, Amanda LaBonte and Sophie Lampel, who are leaders in the theatrical scene. The company is best known for its national Shakespeare in the Vines tour to picturesque wineries and gardens. But in 2017, after a successful crowd-funding campaign, Essential Theatre launched onto the international stage for a critically acclaimed all-female production of Julius Caesar at the Edinburgh Fringe. 

Expect to experience Shakespeare with a sharp contemporary edge as the sun sets over Coriole Vineyards, because Essential Theatre re-imagine these 400-year-old classics in a way that is accessible and fun for all. 

“It’s an event I look forward to every year,” says Renee Butler of Encounter Bay. “The night provides an opportunity for me to enjoy many of my favourite things: time with friends in a relaxed environment, good food, great wine and live theatre. I even appreciate Shakespeare now!”

Book your tickets now through Coriole Vineyards.

Shakespeare in the Vines: Macbeth by Essential Theatre

Sunday 9 February 2020, 4.30pm

79 Chaffeys Road, McLaren Vale