Tomahawk's performance of Macbeth utilises its location to great effect. Oxford Castle is steeped in history and is known for its use as a prison before the beginning of the eighteenth century. This particularly gave the performance an aesthetic oppression that brought the dark and menacing themes of Shakespeare's play to the forefront of the imagination.

Leading our descent into the realms of witchcraft and the supernatural, Craig Finlay (Macbeth) gives a continuously impressive performance of the usurper. Soliloquies are delivered with a clear in-depth knowledge and insight into Macbeth's thoughts and potential psychological issues.

Opposite this titan of literary infamy, Lady Macbeth (Jessica Reilly) seduces the audience with a well chosen red dress, evoking the bloody acts she and her husband partake in. The central villains are surrounded by a strong cast who provide a refreshing update on a selection of Shakespeare's dialogues and a most amusing addition to the role of Gatekeeper (Joseph Adams, who also plays Banquo).

Bringing Shakespeare into the twentieth century, the scene at the witch's lair proves a fright in the innovative way that the creative team allow the audience to witness Macbeth's nightmare visions. Along with live music from an electric guitar and a horrifyingly realistic death for our tragedy's hero, this performance of Macbeth should be highly credited for its professional acting, original creative direction and excellent direction.

I saw this play last night. it was a fantastic experience. The whole thing; strong performances, a spectacular setting and great music. Banquo, Macbeth and Macduff stood out for me but the others were also good. The ending was haunting and you were left with the disturbing feeling that the whole cycle of greed and desire was just about to start again. Banquo's ghost was brilliant and worked perfectly in the castle setting.

I haven't been to see a Tomahawk production at the Oxford Castle before and I'd strongly recommend it to anyone. This is an exciting theatre company I will be looking out for in the future. It was packed out, but they were putting in some extra seats the night I went, so if you get the chance I'd go!

This was an imaginative production, with some excellent features. I particularly enjoyed the contents of the witches' cauldron! Macbeth and Banquo shone as excellent actors, and I hope we see them again in future productions. The castle setting was perfect for this production. Taking place in modern dress, with guns and battledress, the action was fast-paced and exciting.

There was plenty of gore, and Macbeth's descent into self-doubt was convincing. One almost felt sorry for him.

Matt Bright's review says it all. Spot on.

The only thing I would add is that whilst the music would have been excellent in any other context, in this version it detracted at times from the actors. At times it was the focal point of the production; a pity because the script is considered by many people to stand on its own merits.

All in all a so-so production. A satisfying evening but I couldn't help leaving the play thinking it could have been executed a bit more convincingly.

Action, excitement and drama are at the forefront of this fast-paced imaginative production of Macbeth playing for the next two weeks at the Oxford Castle. In some impressive surroundings – it really is a great venue for outside theatre – director Alex Nicholls has set the play in an intimidating military setting in which parade ground marches and gruff sergeant-major figures are front and centre.

The story is of course very familiar, but some interesting cuts and text edits have refocused many characters, most notably that of Lord Ross (Daniel Halsall) whose surface loyalty and good humour gradually falls away to reveal a cruel and brutal bully who is all too happy to embrace the darker elements of the new regime. The witches are streamlined into one, with Kate Rose Comery (an excellent performance, one of the evening's highlights) bringing an eerie physicality and sing-song voice to the role, like an un-nerving child dancer. Joseph Adams' good-natured Banquo and George Readshaw in a variety of roles (in particular a morally outraged Lennox) also impress among the cast, while bringing fresh new interpretations to their familiar roles.

The entire production is a real ensemble piece, with the nine actors taking on many roles, entering and exiting and frequently standing forebodingly on the edges of the stage. A simple but very effective stage design is added to immensely by a striking sound design (Francisco Vera's work here is outstanding) and a very neat conceit of the actors themselves drumming on props and boxes around the edge of the stage – an idea that reads like nothing on the page, but in-situ really works to create an ominous atmosphere (and is a prime example of the intelligence of thinking behind this production). The energy of the actors is inspiring and very engaging and never allows the production to sag.

Macbeth himself is a more complex role than many people think – Shakespeare gives him all of two sentences before he falls under the witches' influence, making it very hard for an actor to establish the heights from which he has fallen. Craig Finlay as Macbeth delivers his speeches wonderfully and he has a clear mad-eyed anger in him, which expands throughout the play. His martial physicality slips slightly in places, and I was a little unconvinced by his “If it were done” speech, but what you really get from his performance is a dangerous man discovering the depths of his ambition – and his willingness to see things done. His stronger moments, like the play, are in the high energy moments – I would have liked to see him able to develop the more intimate moments as well. But it's a very stirring performance.

Jessica Reilly gives an excellent performance as Lady Macbeth, a sensual woman who only realises too late she is out of her depth in these murder games. In particular, her sleepwalking speech is very nicely done and carries real echoes back to the earlier scene of the play. There is a clear passionate sexuality between her and Finlay, and her surface pleasantness makes sense of the warmth with which the other characters treat her at first.

A few moments in the production fall flat – the reaction to Duncan's murder from the court in particular is curiously underplayed and lacks a sense of urgency. Not all of the ideas stick – a comic routinue in the middle of the first act left the audience a little non-plussed – and there are some rough and ready fights that need more practice. A few ill-chosen props – in particular a tiara – also pull the audience out of the action with a few titters. But this is more than made up by the many imaginative touches in staging – including some very well done dance sequences. Very rarely have I seen a party atmosphere successfully created in the Ghost of Banquo scene, but it's done here – and Finlay's reaction to the ghost is all the stronger because of the contrast.

This is a very impressive piece of work from Tomahawk, an engaging, stirring, fast-paced and very theatrical piece of work that pays testimony to the hard work and dedication of all involved. Not all of its moments succeed, but its positives far outweigh any dips and I and the audience around me really enjoyed the evening. It's very difficult to make one of the best known plays in the English language seem fresh and original but this production manages it. Don't miss it.