A Richmond resident and actor almost lost an opportunity to be on stage when he hung up a phone call that he didn’t know.
Earlier this year, Aidan Wright was contacted “out of the blue” by an unknown number who turned out to be a friend asking if he could be part of the show The Tragic Comedy of Macbeth.
“I was very excited and basically said yes on the spot. Getting a call like that, at least for me, it meant a lot and many people (who) I’ve seen and talked to I now get to work with and it’s quite amazing,” said Wright.
He added he was nervous when he first joined the cast and co-directors Bernard Cuffling, a regular Bard on the Beach actor, and Gary Jones, a veteran improviser in Vancouver.
“It was intimating at first, but it’s a great cast to be working with and a pleasure to have a chance to play and act with them on stage.”
The screenplay, said Wright, had already been developed two to three months prior to him joining the script-writing team.
He joined the writing team a month ago to finalize the main story and games that will take place during the show and they are “working on this script all together” now.
The play is made up of only five cast members, but each member will take on multiple roles and “eventually everyone will have to play a witch at some point in the play.”
Wright will be acting out the characters Banquo, Macduff and Lady Macduff.
“It’s going to be very maniac, but very fun.”
During the play, audience members will get a chance to participate by choosing how the play will go.
“(The actor playing) Macbeth will intrigue the audience to give them offers to change the play so he can survive till the very end, (while) the witches work against him to maintain the course of the play,” said Wright.
He explained that even though the team has put a fun twist to Shakespeare’s original play, the “meaning of the story is still there,” and he hopes that people who watch the show can break away from Shakespeare’s traditional style of plays.
The Tragic Comedy of Macbeth will debut at Jericho Arts Centre on Dec. 4 and will run until Dec. 15.
Tickets range from $25 to $30 for adults and $15 to $20 for seniors and students, and can be bought online or via phone at 604-224-8007.
