With static noise as his entrance music, our blood-smeared protagonist appears in his new home – a psychiatric ward. This is the beginning of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Macbeth. With the talent of Alan Cumming and Directors John Tiffany and Andrew Goldberg on board it was never going to be a traditional take of Shakespeare’s infamous Scottish play, but they did not disappoint. In this production, Cumming exhibits all the characters in Macbeth, flitting from one to the other. Yet this is not quite a one man show. Ali Craig and Myra McFadyen join our Macbeth as his doctors. It is not only our actors who bring the characters of Shakespeare’s play to life.

As soon as you enter the auditorium and lay eyes on the set, the play begins. The set itself captures the feel of a psychiatric ward so accurately you can almost feel the chill of the tiles. This feeling is enhanced by the tranquil green colour, reminiscent of doctors’ robes. Many empty beds and the odd abandoned belonging inhabit a room for one man, as if the ghosts of former patients still haunt their old home, lending their presence beautifully to this tale.

The production is enhanced further by the use of technology. CCTV cameras observe the patient as he morphs into the well-known characters from Macbeth. The cameras appear old fashioned, evoking Orwell’s 1984, hinting that our protagonist is never far from a watchful eye.

Alan Cumming can only be described as dedicated. With such a powerful play placed on one man’s shoulders, you would be forgiven for worrying. But with Cumming at the helm, all doubt vanishes. His intelligence is apparent through the agile changes between character, punctuated by his use of voice and movement. Each voice and physicality is so different from the last that you can’t help but be in awe.

Cumming has said that he has long been toying with the idea of actors portraying Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switching roles each night, as both display qualities of the other’s sex. In this production, Cumming beautifully harnesses the emotions of strong women alongside their male equivalents. The transition from Macbeth to his wife through a bathing scene evokes the idea of rebirth. There, Cumming flirts and laughs as this conniving woman toys with dark deeds. Some audience members found this comical, but I personally found a version of Lady Macbeth I have never seen before and yet seemed part of her DNA. From this to a Robert Stephens-inspired Duncan, to an intimidating Macduff, to a timid Malcolm and others, Cumming makes sense of this complex play in an unconventional setting and yet keeps us guessing.

With directors Tiffany and Goldberg, this play was in sound creative hands from the beginning. The pair have pulled together the talents of many to define a thought-provoking performance lead by a force to be reckoned with in Alan Cumming. This production makes us realise all over again why we love theatre, and showcases the exciting and dynamic work the National Theatre of Scotland continues to produce. If you were to only see one thing this year, Macbeth would be a perfect choice.

Macbeth is playing at the Tramway, Glasgow until 30 June and transfers to the Rose Theatre as part of the Lincoln Centre Festival between 5 –  14 July. For more information and tickets, see the National Theatre of Scotland’s website.