Lemgo. Shakespeare can be a lot of fun. The award-winning actor Bernd Lafrenz wanted to prove this in the Weser Renaissance Museum at Brake Castle. And that’s exactly what he did, according to the museum’s press release. The program featured the bloodthirsty classic “Macbeth” as a “turbulent one-man show.” What was special about it: Bernd Lafrenz changed roles and costumes, his gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice in a matter of seconds. “He skillfully involved the enthusiastic students in the piece. “Sometimes they read out short passages of text, sometimes they imitated the squeaking of the castle door with great pleasure,” writes the museum. The museum team is very pleased that the piece was so well received by the young audience, says museum director Silvia Herrmann. “It is very important to us to convey knowledge skillfully and in a playful way. This applies to both our exhibitions and our events.”
The plot
“Macbeth” is a rather eerie piece. The setting is Scotland in the 11th century. Three witches prophesy a future as king for the Scottish general Macbeth in the misty high moors of the country. Spurred on by ambition and his power-hungry wife, he helps this future and murders the ruling king. “After the performance, the kids asked the actor numerous questions. Lafrenz readily said that he actually wanted to become a math and Latin teacher,” it continues. He only did acting on the side. The hobby ultimately became much more. Lafrenz has been traveling the country for 41 years now and delighting his audiences with this special art form. “The success proves him right – and so does the grateful audience,” it concludes.
