INTERVIEW WITH MACBETH ACTOR AND MOVEMENT DIRECTOR: DEBORAH PUGH
02 Feb 2026 | General News
Ahead of opening night, we caught up with actor and movement director, Deborah Pugh who will play First Witch, to find out how rehearsals are going for Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedy, Macbeth. This production is the third time that Deborah has performed as both an actor and movement director at Hull Truck Theatre. Deborah said: “Both Hull and Hull Truck Theatre are such lovely places to return to, the theatre here feels like coming home now. There is such a positive friendly atmosphere from everyone in the building it makes doing your best work that much easier. And I love Hull - it’s a city with such a strong sense of identity - everyone who lives here seems to be such a big fan of the place. I’ve never known a city with so much merch.” Set in a country ravaged by war and rebellion, Macbeth is powerful and chilling production, which lays bare the human cost of unchecked ambition. Being a part of this company and creative team is a very different experience from Deborah’s previous roles at Hull Truck Theatre, where you might remember her playing Cricket in Pinocchio and Homily in The Borrowers. Deborah tells us, “Christmas shows include big ensemble shows with set movement pieces and choreographed sequences, but on Macbeth, the work has been much more about character development and a little bit of conjuring magic.” “Dealing with ghosts and magic is always a bit of a challenge. We’ve had to spend time figuring out the rules of our world and how all things other worldly fit into it. Witches are all very distinct - we’ve spent a lot of time away from working on scenes searching for their bodies and stories.” As well as embodying the character of ‘First Witch’, Deborah is responsible for shaping the physical language within the entire production, helping the other actors to explore their characters through body language, posture, spatial awareness, and physical storytelling. She is responsible for enhancing and tracking the physical journey and rhythm of each actor. Deborah explains that to understand your characters body and building habits before becoming distracted by having to act is key – “Working as a movement director, it’s a nice process to try to figure out everyone’s creative language - what makes people feel the most playful and free, it makes for a rich mix.” “I always prefer to build habits rather than choreography - it’s one fewer thing to remember! The character of Malcolm has huge physical journey from young uncertain prince to commanding king and everything in between, whereas the witches are a very different kettle of fish, we have really had to explore the mystical world around them first to understand what makes the witches who they are.” If we were not excited enough, Deborah describes how the costumes of the witches have helped with creating the physicality of the production - “Each witch has a distinct mask which tells a whole story in itself - a lot of the character work has been putting the mask on and seeing how it comes to life - playing with animals, elements and materials to find the character to fit the mask.” Macbeth is set to be an incredibly dynamic, gritty and high-drama production. Set in an almost dystopian war zone that looks frighteningly familiar, audiences will be gripped as the consequences of power and ambition play out before their very eyes. Deborah urges audiences not to miss this highly anticipated production… “It has such a modern, urgent feel to it - the fight scenes alone are worth the ticket.” Tickets for Macbeth at Hull Truck Theatre are available now via www.hulltruck.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01482 323638. Recommended age guidance 13+. See website for full content guidance. A number of access performances are also available.
