Last week, our Communications & Fundraising Director, Lucy Dickson, sat down with Stu McLoughlin, who plays Macbeth in our upcoming production, to talk about returning to Tobacco Factory Theatres, tackling Shakespeare, and stepping into one of the most iconic roles in theatre.
What was it about this particular production of Macbeth that drew you to the project?
That’s pretty easy, really. I worked with Heidi [Vaughan – the director) last year on The Winter’s Tale and loved the way we collaborated. I’ve known Heidi since we were both about sixteen — we were in a play together where she played my sister, believe it or not — so we have a really nice shared language and chemistry between us.
So when she asked me to play this part, there was no consideration needed. I instantly said yes — both for the chance to work with Heidi again and with the lovely Alice Barclay, who I’d also been in The Winter’s Tale with and knew was coming back too.
There was also the opportunity to play such a meaty Shakespearean role, a real classic. In my career I haven’t often played big characters like this — I tend to play leads or annoying best mates quite a lot — so this felt like a chance to really stretch myself and push into new territory. It’s a scary prospect, but that’s exactly why I’m attracted to it. I don’t want to stay in my comfort zone.
With Heidi’s support and the support of Tobacco Factory Theatres, I thought: what better place to do something really dangerous, while feeling as safe as I possibly can?
Which elements of the role have you found most challenging or surprising so far?
It’s only day four of rehearsals, so it’s early days, but the language is a massive challenge — simply because there’s so much of it. So many lines to learn. But I’ve really relished that and am enjoying it hugely.
The soliloquies are also challenging. Being on your own on stage, talking directly to the audience — I’ve done that before with Living Spit, but mostly in a comedic sense, not often in a dramatic or tragic one. So it’s been interesting to find a persona that audiences can take seriously and really identify with as I deliver those moments.
That’s a challenge for me as a performer, but one I relish and am very excited about exploring in the rehearsal room.
How has your background in comedy affected the way you’ve approached the role?
Comedy is very deeply ingrained in me. People are often surprised when comedians can play straight, but actually I think it’s much harder the other way around. If you’re a comedian, you develop an innate sense of rhythm and timing — how to deliver lines in a way that heightens the audience’s enjoyment.
I think so-called “serious actors” often find comedy harder, because comedy is in everything — everything can be funny. So in some ways I find it easier to go from comedy into drama.
Especially with classical text like this, it’s about building, building, building — and then landing something. In comedy that might be a punchline; here it might be a revelation, a murder, or a sudden emotional shift. But the rhythmic sensibility is similar.
Do you find yourself fighting that goofball urge at all?
I do sometimes, yes! But I’m like that in my normal life too, especially with Heidi — we’ve known each other so long that we’re always joking and being light with one another. I think that’s a way of venting it out, so it doesn’t creep into the actual performance.
Are there any specific moments at Tobacco Factory Theatres that really stand out for you?
So many. The Winter’s Tale was a massive highlight — my first ever professional Shakespeare production. I’d done Shakespeare at drama school, but never in a real theatre before, so that was hugely significant for me.
Pretty much all of Living Spit’s shows have had runs here, and we always love playing TFT. There’s something about the audience being so intimate, yet arranged formally, that’s very exciting.
More recently, we did Too Many Greek Myths in the round, which was the first time we’d ever done a Living Spit show that way — also here at TFT.
And even further back, in the late 90s, I used to do rehearsed readings in the back of the factory space through my work with the youth theatre, now the Bristol Old Vic Young Company. I’ve also been coming here as an audience member for nearly 30 years.
There’s something about the history of the space — the fact that it was a working factory with working people — that makes it very special. It doesn’t try to be grand or lofty, and that’s exactly what makes it feel important and alive.
and finally Without revealing too much, what can audiences expect from this version of Macbeth?
One of the greatest plays ever written, brought to life by ten brilliant ensemble performers working with a shared language and shared experience to tell this story in a visceral, exciting and bloody way.
You can catch Stu in Macbeth at Tobacco Factory Theatres from 19th Feb – 28th March 2026.
Venue: Factory Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres
Tickets: From £15
Box Office: 0117 902 0344
Age recommendation: 12+
For full details on BSL-interpreted, captioned and relaxed performances, visit the Macbeth page on our website.
Posted on 26 January 2026
