Swapnadal to stage mime of ‘Macbeth’ to mark Marcel Marceau's anniversary

On the 18th death anniversary of the world's greatest mime artist, Marcel Marceau, theatre troupe Swapnadal is staging a special performance of its acclaimed mime drama "Macbeth" tomorrow, September 22, at 7pm at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's Experimental Theatre Hall.

Directed by Zahid Repon, "Macbeth" is based on William Shakespeare's timeless tragedy, restructured by Juana Sobnom and presented in the Bangladeshi mime tradition. Through silence, gesture, and movement, the play traces the fatal journey of a valiant general consumed by ambition—driven to murder King Duncan, seize the throne, and ultimately fall victim to the same cycle of blood and betrayal.

While Shakespeare's plays have been staged worldwide in countless forms—on stage, film, and television—Swapnadal's "Macbeth" stands apart as the first full-length mime drama (or mimodrama) created and performed in Bangladesh using a laboratory-style research process.

The cast includes Juenna, Hasan, Sumaiya, Nishok, Shishir, Shyamal, Jebu, Sonali, Anindya, Orko, Nisorgo, Shafique, Zawad, and Ali, among others.

The production team is equally ambitious: Fazle Rabbi Sukorn designed the stage and lights; Hasanuzzaman handled choreography; costumes and props were jointly designed by Juana Sobnom, Hasanuzzaman, and Sumaiya Shishir; while Shakhawat Shyamal and Mizaul Islam Khan composed the soundscape. Shyamal also serves as production manager. Tonight marks the 18th staging of "Macbeth."

Marcel Marceau, born in Strasbourg, France, on March 22, 1923, devoted nearly six decades to elevating mime into a universal art form. Revered worldwide as the "Master of Mime," he passed away on September 22, 2007—his silence echoing still across generations of performers.

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