David Tennant: Doctor Who actor David Tennant to play Macbeth in new BBC drama

The 50-year-old former Doctor Who joins a number of high-profile Scottish actors to portray William Shakespeare’s tyrannical king, following past performances from Alan Cumming, James McAvoy and Nicol Williamson.

Good Omens star Tennant, who is no stranger himself to the Bards work - having previously performed lead roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Hamlet, Richard II and Romeo And Juliet – will play MacBeth in a broadcast airing later this month.

Tennant also previously undertook the role of Malvolio in a three-part series of Twelfth Night on Radio 3 in 2013.

Bafta award winner Daniela Nardini will feature as Lady Macbeth in the new broadcast, with Stuart McQuarrie as Banquo, Alec Newman as Macduff and Naana Agyei-Ampadu as Lady Macduff.

Radio 4’s commissioning editor for drama and fiction Alison Hindell said: “Macbeth is a part of great significance for any actor, but particularly so for Scottish players.

“As David Tennant makes a welcome return to Radio 4 audio drama, we look forward to this performance with great anticipation.”

Part one of Radio 4’s Macbeth will air between 3pm and 4pm on April 23, coinciding with the date on which Shakespeare’s birthday is traditionally celebrated due to his precise birthdate being unknown.

The broadcast will also proceed the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s first folio, Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, which will be celebrated in 2023.

The second hour-long instalment of the play will air at the same time the following day.

In September, it was announced that Tennant is to play former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in a new ITV drama.

Mr Litvinenko died after being poisoned with a rare radioactive substance in London in 2006.

The drama, Litvinenko, will tell the story of his widow Marina as she seeks to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of Russia in his murder.

It will also focus on the police offers who worked for years to prove who was responsible for the killing.

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