Saturday night there was the chance to indulge in some culture as I went to see Dunsinane at the King’s in Edinburgh.

This play, written by David Greig, represents a sequel of sorts to Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The story take place just after the death of the tyrant and represents the actions of three protagonists as told by a young member of the English army.

Siward, played by Jonny Phillips, heads the English army. Sent north to Scotland to kill the tyrant and install a new king. He represents a man of action with a simple goal, to bring peace to Scotland.

Malcolm, played by Sandy Grierson, is that kings albeit a reluctant one. Installed in Dunsinane castle, he is a man steeped in politics and sees the world in shades of grey.

Gruach, played by Siobhan Redmond, is the tyrant’s widow and represents a thorn in the side of both Malcolm and Siward. She has a son that she believes is the rightful heir to the throne.

For those that don’t want spoilers, stop reading now and take my word for it that the play is fantastic and worth a viewing. For those who want to know more, read on …

Siward bounces between the two other protagonists trying to get them to see reason as he sees it. He wants peace in Scotland but cannot understand why the Scots don’t want it. He is aided by a local general MacDuff who explains the shifting sands of allegiance between the clans.

The clans themselves want to continue with things as usual. They are more interested in their own goals than a greater goal of peace. And into this is thrust Malcolm. He is a politician rather than a soldier and has a greater understanding of the complexities of inter-clan relations than Siward. He really only wants to play them off against each other and survive, believing to annoy one or more of them invites the assassins dagger.

Siward cannot understand why Malcolm does not want peace. Malcolm cynically suggests that peaces is mearly interruptions in periods of war rather than the other way around.

The English army was sent north for what seemed a simple and quick goal. But the reality of the situation means that they have to stay for longer than is expected causing some grumbling between the men. As the play goes on, the army are picked off one by one by fighting and what might be called terrorist attacks.

Gruach wants her son on the throne and will manipulate any and all around her to do so. She attempts to seduce Siward offering him kingship if he follows her will. Siward instead tries to marry her off to Malcolm but this fails.

Siward resorts to ever more brutal methods to try and bring peace and that goal fixates him, eating away until the desire for peace is all that matters. He eventually has the son of Gruach killed.

He heads off in to the wilderness to find Gruach, she having escaped the castle previously. Finding her, he returns the body of her son and demands that she submit and that there is peace in the country. She refuses and he’s last seen heading off into the darkness, leaving her to grieve.

If the above sounds familiar, then it could be a tale of Western intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq. The play is suggesting that peace cannot be imposed by outside agency nor by force, there must be a genuine desire for it from the people.

Does this abdicate our responsibility to try to bring peace? Killing the tyrant in Iraq only brought forth every inter clan feud that had been simmering. Not handling the occupation and reconstruction properly didn’t help in any way.

I’ve seen this play twice now and it remains as thought provoking as anything else I’ve seen in the theatre.

Well recommended, see it if you get a chance.