The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Macbeth

At night, after the visitors have gone home and the zookeepers have locked up, the animals of the zoo entertain one another by performing classic plays. Tonight’s performance: Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in which the great hero Macbeth (played by the lion) gets an idea planted in his head (by the “weird sisters” – a lemur, a koala, and a rabbit) that if he kills the king (an owl), he can become the king! His wife (a leopard) enthusiastically urges him to give it a try, but then he can’t stop himself from eating others! Detective Macduff (a heron) is on the case, and Macbeth is starting to have nightmares. Where will the madness end?!

This is not your traditional performance of Macbeth; really, The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents: Macbeth is unlike any version I’ve ever encountered before. And I mean that in the best way possible; this clever little retelling is funny and imaginative, and the illustrations really make it sparkle. This graphic novel would be a fantastic way to introduce a younger audience to this classic story, but adults are sure to enjoy every page too.