Giving rationale to the Bard's most soul-searing tragedy is never easy, no matter how many times you have examined it. But with a nationwide tour kicking off at the Cambridge Drama Centre, Peregrine Theatre is currently concerning itself with an adaptation bent on exploring 'the deepest forces at work within the human psyche, with what it is to be human'

I was under the impression that that was what Shakespeare had in mind too, but to its credit Peregrine holds back from over egging the pudding, providing us with an intimate but crisp interpretation. Just six actors play all the key parts, including company founders Miles Foster (Macbeth) and Ingrid Statman (Lady Macbeth), who also direct. An injection of new writing ensures generous exposure for every character, but the pace of the play means you never get overly bogged down with one psyche, except, naturally, Macbeth's.His pathetic, confused descent into evil is portrayed with affecting emotion by Foster. Of the multi-character actors, Jeremy Spriggs (Duncan, Macduff, murderer) stands out as especially versatile, blending valour and vanity in just the right doses. Macduff's slaying of Macbeth is suitably riveting, but then the minimalism of set, props and players encourages intense focus at all of the play's key stages. As such, the dream sequences, Lady Macbeth's lonely demise and the witches' dizzy ramblings are affected with simplicity, yet great atmosphere. It has taken considerable discipline to pull this Macbeth off with such tight parameters. But although the rapid swapping of roles imposes familiarity overdrive on the audience, Peregrine has reworked without too much hubble, bubble, toil or trouble.