Woke theatre slaps Shakespeare's Scottish play featuring David Tennant with bizarre trigger warning

Tenant and Jumbo/Donmar Warehouse

The actor, 52, will star alongside Cush Jumbo OBE in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Shakespeare’s iconic 1606 play

Instagram @cushjumbohere/Wikimedia Commons
Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 30/11/2023

- 11:51

The Donmar Warehouse has an advisory section on its website, where a list of potential triggers are shown

An upcoming production of Macbeth featuring David Tennant has included a bizarre trigger warning to audiences, triggering critics to brand the theatre company as "woke".

Doctor Who’s Tennant is set to star as Macbeth, the Scottish king who is driven to madness and murder by his deranged wife.


The actor, 52, will star alongside Cush Jumbo OBE in the Donmar Warehouse’s production of Shakespeare’s iconic 1606 play.

The theatre has an advisory section on its website, where a list of potential triggers is shown, one of which is for postnatal depression.

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The page warns that “this production explores psychosis and contains suggestions of post-combat and postnatal mental health concerns.

“On stage there is blood, scenes of violence and depictions of death.”

Social media users reacted to the trigger warnings for the upcoming play.

One said: "I will never watch anything with the woke ideology, it's normal straight or nothing for me. Even Dr who is no longer watchable".

Another said: "Macbeth needs no explanation or excuses. If the woke are going they should do their research rather than come over all offended."

Meanwhile while a third chimed in: "I already know this will be a complete disaster which can't be saved even with DTs amazing acting talent."

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Macbeth poster

The show begins next month

Donmar

Tenant, a veteran stage actor who has donned many of Shakespeare’s most famous characters, has never played the Scottish king on stage.

It will be the Doctor Who star's first Shakespearean role on stage since his 2016 performance of the titular king in Richard II by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Hamlet will be the final production of the 30th-anniversary season for the theatre.

Previews for the show begin on December 8, before the run begins on December 15.

The show will run until February 10, 2024.

Tickets for the show, described as a “spellbinding story”, have now sold out.

However, £15 standing tickets will be available on the day of the performance.

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