Oxford has a strong culture of summer Shakespeare classics being put on in college gardens and available open spaces. There are few better, though, than the recurring productions of Tomahawk Theatre. Under cloudless blue skies, with the Oxford Castle and Prison Courtyard as its backdrop, their rendering of Macbeth blends the traditional swords and crowns with a military formality, timeless in its telling.

The story unfolds with the strength of some excellent performances. Tartan-clad witches and Highland music bring Scotland into focus. Lord Ross, played beautifully by Tobias Forbes, arrives bloodied from battle announcing victory in his reassuring Scottish lilt.

Lady Macbeth (Hannah Nicholas) is a powerful and plotting wife against her more contemplative husband, Macbeth (Ivo Gruev), who offers a more philosophical intonation of his lines. Kieran Chambers’ Banquo offers an initial excitement followed by a ghostly betrayal that advances the play. Macduff (Craig Findlay) is confident in his voice, particularly against Malcolm’s (Billy Morton) youthful navigation of the death of his father and later, the need to confront Macbeth.

Tomahawk Theatre has found a home for the past ten years at the Oxford Castle (with an alternative rainy-day venue at the New Road Baptist Church). Alex Nicholls, one of the founders of Tomahawk and the director of this production, has done a masterful job of taking promising young talent and drawing the best performances which results in an entertaining evening to a nearly full audience. During the interval, I had the opportunity to speak to Nicholls about his search for young talent for the productions. He said: “I go to a number of youth productions and university shows to spot talent.We are always looking for new actors. Many past actors have gone on to train at RADA, LAMDA and perform on West End stages.” A stunning example of this is the versatile Martha Ibbotson, who played one of the witches, a porter and the doctor.

Beth Burns’ choreography of the dances draw the tone of the story together, particularly with a festive dance of celebration resulting in a haunting of Macbeth from Banquo. Tom Bateman’s coaching of the fighting scenes highlighted the final deathly fisticuffs between Macbeth and Macduff, and detailed the advancing tension of Macbeth’s fall from power. The music, arranged and confidently delivered by Dexter Drown, contributed to key scenes, with the gentle court music softening the mood of Macbeth’s coronation, followed later with the ruthless beating of the drums when the final battle begins.

Tomahawk Theatre deserves this enduring summer spotlight. Under Nicholls’ solid direction, Macbeth proved a wonderful platform for this troupe of players. The audience of young and old were gripped. As the sun set and the bagpipes played out Malcolm’s victory, the applause carried on in appreciation of a gift of an evening.