David Tennant and Cush Jumbo will miss their play Macbeth for the fourth consecutive night due to illness, it has been announced.
Shakespeare’s play at the Harold Pinter Theater has been canceled for the past three nights, but will return Tuesday, without its two stars.
On Tuesday it was revealed that David and Cush would be replaced by understudies for the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in their final performance.
On social media, a member of the public who had tickets for Tuesday’s show revealed that they had been emailed to inform them that David and Cush would not be performing.
The message read: “Unfortunately, due to illness among the cast, David Tennant and Cush Jumbo will not be performing in Macbeth on Tuesday 5 November 2024.
The play Macbeth will finally be performed again on Tuesday after being canceled for three nights in a row, but David Tennant and Cush Jumbo will not be performing.
On Tuesday it was revealed that his next performance will take place; However, stars David and Cush are still unwell and will be replaced by understudies for the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
‘We know you will have been looking forward to the show and we sincerely apologize for any disappointment caused.
‘Tonight’s performance will continue with substitute actors playing the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
“As this season of Macbeth is strictly limited and tickets are sold out for the remainder of the run, we are unable to offer alternative dates for patrons wishing to make an exchange at this time.”
The theater informed potential audience members that they can request a refund if they no longer want to attend.
Macbeth, playing at the Harold Pinter Theater in London’s West End, was forced to close its doors due to a “business illness”, the latter being announced just two hours before the premiere.
Fans have shared their fury at the last-minute announcement about the cancellations, with many saying how far they had traveled to see the play.
Ticket holders said they wished the cast a speedy recovery, but wanted the announcement earlier in the day before spending money on travel and food.
The Harold Pinter X account announced on November 1 that the show’s late-night performance would not take place.
The message read: “Unfortunately, due to illness among the cast, David Tennant and Cush Jumbo will not be performing in Macbeth on Tuesday 5 November 2024.”
The Harold Pinter X account announced on November 1 that the show’s late-night performance would not take place.
Many said they wished the cast a speedy recovery, but wished they had made the announcement earlier in the day before spending money on travel and food.
The next three days of shows were also cancelled, while the social media account apologized and thanked ticket holders for their understanding.
The post read: “Unfortunately, due to company illness, tonight’s performance of Macbeth has been cancelled.
‘Your ticket provider will contact you in the coming days regarding your tickets. We are very sorry and thank you for your understanding.’
Reporting that fans were most recently alerted just two hours earlier, one person said: “Meanwhile, in London, UK, the entire company (including Macbeth’s David Tennant) is sick, forcing the cancellation of 4 consecutive performances just a few hours ago.” hours before his curtain call. .’
Others shared their fury beneath an Instagram ad, writing: “I’m all for actors taking care of themselves, but canceling 1.5 hours early is a little rude”; ‘We came to tonight’s performance from Lyon. It’s a shame they didn’t announce the cancellation at least a little earlier that day…
‘Now we’ve wasted time and money on an empty night in London… Maybe we could have seen something more’; ‘A lot of solidarity with those who are sick, but the lack of cancellation notification is surprisingly poor. If, as we were told, the theater knew there would be no performance tonight at 4:00 pm, why did it take until almost 6:00 pm to let us know?
‘We had been checking all day, before paying for the train tickets and dinner, that everything was okay. Who is going to reimburse us! The complete lack of care shown towards the public is incredible. The fabulous staff sent to stay outside as always had a hard time. Who the hell made the decision not to cancel first thing in the morning?
“The terrible public relations generated by such a late cancellation are immense compared to a cancellation this morning.”
Fans have shared their fury at the last-minute announcement about the cancellations, with many saying how far they had traveled to see the play.
Another said: “I’m really disappointed at the way this has been handled.” My friend and I had tickets for tonight. Since we knew that previous shows had been canceled, we were checking all morning to see if there were any cancellation notices.
‘Because there was nothing left we stayed to travel to London this afternoon. We paid for the train tickets and ate near the theater. The cancellation was announced at 5:45 p.m. That’s too late. Very disrespectful and inconsiderate to ticket holders who have wasted time and money traveling to London.
“A decision should have been made earlier in the day. I don’t blame the cast at all, illness cannot be avoided and I hope everyone recovers quickly. However, I am quite disgusted by the way the theater handled this situation. “It’s disrespectful and rude.”
Others shared their annoyance at the cancellation on ‘Hello, I have received an SMS from AGT informing me that the Saturday matinee has been cancelled. Can you confirm it? We traveled from Somerset for the performance. Thank you’;
‘Why have your ticket agents used this as an excuse to increase ticket prices for remaining future shows?’; ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry, I’m in front of the theater and it’s very cancelled. I wish you all a speedy recovery and good health.”
Another fumed: ‘Maybe if you responded to just one of the many people who asked about tonight’s performance here and on Instagram, your phone lines wouldn’t be jammed with callers trying to find out.’ I’ve been on hold for 50 minutes.
‘Reserved babysitter. Reserved hotel. Reserved restaurant. Game canceled with four hours remaining’; ‘Assume that the text received from ATG informing that tomorrow’s performances are canceled is genuine. In order not to leave early tomorrow to get to London, can you confirm this?
The next three days of shows were also cancelled, as the social media account apologized and thanked ticket holders for their understanding (pictured, Cush Jumbo).
Others shared their fury beneath an Instagram ad.
‘Can you give more information please! Rescheduling? Refunds? When will he return? You can’t cancel by text and then not follow up with more information!’; ‘@AGT seriously? How about you reply or update everyone who asks instead of sending this nonsense?
A spokesperson for the theater said: All customers who were booked for canceled performances have received correspondence informing them that their point of sale would be contacting them regarding options for their booking. This process is already underway.”
David and Cush performed William Shakespeare’s play at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden earlier this year before moving to Harold Pinter.
The adaptation is directed by Donmar associate director Max Webster, also known for Life Of Pi and Henry V.
Cush previously appeared in Hamlet at the Young Vic a few years ago, after what former New York Times theater critic Ben Brantley described her as radiating “that unquantifiable force of hunger, drive and talent generally called star power.”
In a somber and dramatic animation, David and Cush wowed the crowd with a sensational performance, as the show will continue throughout the winter season.
Speaking about his role in Macbeth last year, David told The Guardian: “I thought I knew this play very well and that, unlike any other Shakespeare I remember rehearsing, it was simple.
‘But every time I get to a scene, it goes in a direction I didn’t expect. It has so much strength that it moves forward. Plot-wise, it’s more innovative than any Shakespeare play he’s ever done.
Cush added: ‘She is deeply embedded in our culture. Everyone thinks they know who she is. Most people studied the play in school. I did it, I hated it. It was very boring, but that’s because Shakespeare’s plays are not meant to be read, but to be performed.
“People think they know Lady Macbeth as a guy: the strong, controlling woman who made him do it. She does things that women shouldn’t do. The biggest mistake is believing that we’ve stopped seeing Lady Macbeth as a human being. .’
