Oxford Theatre Guild are going ‘into the woods’ to stage their production of Macbeth at Trinity College from next Tuesday Tuesday until July 22.

Although no strangers to Trinity, the Guild break new ground by performing on a multi-level stage in the wooded area known to the college’s gardeners as ‘the wilderness’.

The production, with nine witches rather than the usual three, is part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages project, which aims to forge stronger links between professional and amateur theatre.

The guild promise an evening of fast-paced entertainment with a carefully cut version of the play.

Joint directors James Reilly and Jessica Welch are emphasising the supernatural aspects of the play, focusing on magical ritual and deploying the witches in the roles of the many minor characters.

Jess said: “In our production we have the witches as an ever present influence, manipulating and exploiting human weakness in order to lead men to their own doom.” James adds: “Macbeth is a scary play, and we want the audience to experience that. Our Macbeth as a very real, flawed man whose life is overtaken by frightening supernatural forces.”

Box Office: 01865 305305 (www.ticketsoxford.com).