Both Isaac Stamper – in a directorial and writing debut – and the Newcastle University Theatre Society, left the audience entranced right through this production. They also kept us guessing how exactly the plot was going to unfurl. Additionally, the clever use of lighting and music choices left me captivated as the dark and twisty plot thickened.

It starts off as a playful and humorous modern retelling of Macbeth, the backdrop being a London drug operation with gangs on the brink of a turf war. However, the events of the play move into a tragedy as the dangerous and driven Danny Dartman schemes to turn his already fruitful enterprise into an unstoppable empire.

The play’s inspirations dovetail perfectly throughout as the action explodes into a bloody affair that would not be out of place in a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino film, and I was on the edge of my seat.

Even at the start – while the audience filed into the room – the actors were dotted about the room and jumped into action as the room darkened. There was then a surprise around every corner, which heightened the suspense and mystique among the crowd. Hearts and souls were laid bare as characters experienced heartbreak and tragedy, but justice was served in the end.

Barrah T Al-Badry