Students of Grade 11 performed Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare's best known plays, at the Alliance Francaise on 18th and 19th December.

By framing the story in the context of a corporate takeover, the idea of the corrosive power of ambition was made relevant and understandable to today's theatregoers (the replacement of swords with guns may also have helped).

The cast of the play was diverse and talented. Every single person who walked onto the stage held their own, whether their part was two sentences or twenty pages.

A standout, even among all this talent, was Aldrine D'souza, who drew a round of applause from the audience for her heartrending performance as Lady Macbeth in the sleepwalking scene. The raw emotion she showed in her voice and her manner moved the audience and caused the cast backstage to gravitate in the wings, simply to hear, if not see, this seminal scene of the play.

Simplicity seemed to be the order of the day. The stage merely held six blood red screens that provided all the backdrop the play needed, while emphasizing the repeating symbol of blood. The costumes were more often than not sourced from the cast members' personal wardrobes.

Directed by Mrs. Banerjee of the English department, the play was an hour and 45 minutes long and held the audience's attention for the entirety of that time period.