TEHRAN-The cinematheque of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) in Tehran will show the recorded stage performance of “National Theatre Live: Macbeth” (2013) directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh on Wednesday.

The screening, set for 5 p.m., will be followed by a review session with Abbas Ghaffari as the host and theater critic Asal Asri-Maleki, Mehr reported.

Branagh plays the role of Macbeth, the famous character created by William Shakespeare. As Macbeth rides home from battle, three witches prophesy that he will soon rise in power to become King of Scotland. Aided by his wife, the pair will stop at nothing to seal their fate.

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” often shortened to “Macbeth,” is a tragedy by Shakespeare, thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatizes the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those who seek power. Of all the plays that Shakespeare wrote during the reign of James I, “Macbeth” most clearly reflects his relationship with King James, patron of Shakespeare's acting company.

Shakespeare's source for the story is the account of Macbeth, King of Scotland, Macduff, and Duncan in Holinshed's Chronicles (1587), a history of England, Scotland, and Ireland familiar to Shakespeare and his contemporaries, although the events in the play differ extensively from the history of the real Macbeth. The events of the tragedy have been associated with the execution of Henry Garnet for complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Kenneth Branagh has long been lauded as one of the great Shakespearean interpreters. His skills as a writer, director and actor have garnered international acclaim across the disciplines of stage, film and television, and he is the only man to be nominated in five different categories for an Academy Award. 

Rob Ashford has directed and choreographed productions on both sides of the Atlantic. From collaborations with the Donmar Warehouse and National Theater, to Broadway, Ashford has a string of nominations and awards to his name including an Olivier Award for “Anna Christie” and nominations for “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “Parade” and a Tony Award for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and nominations for productions including “Evita” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”. He also won an Emmy for his choreography at the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

SS/SAB