As a sculptor “finds” a bird in a stone, so director Mark O’Halloran found Shakespeare’s Scottish play in the Kray Twins’ 1960s East End. If the well-known tragedy was to be given a facelift, it couldn’t have gone to a better place.

Hats off to Joy Tinniswood for her 80-minute reign as a female demagogue – a hefty volume of lines goes with the territory but makes her achievement on this score no less impressive.

Unfortunately there’s a but coming. Notwithstanding valiant efforts by all the cast in their individual roles, the whole thing never really got off the ground to meet its potential. It lacked drama, let alone that of life in the underworld.

In the initial funeral scene there were enough actors on stage to create a picture evocative of the 1960s. Individual scenes suffered for lack of character in terms of acting, but also costume.

On stage for pretty much the whole time without props, Ma Beth avoided eye contact with the audience and sported a hairband – simply not enough of a suggestion of the times.

Without make-up she cast a drab figure in a badly fitting black shift and washed-out cardigan. Disappointing overall.