Are we in Scotland, or an illegal rave in a post-apocalyptic Dalston?

Director Carrie Cracknell and choreographer Lucy Guerin's Macbeth at The Young Vic is arresting and stylistically on-trend.

Corpse-like dance, a pulsing, unsettling electronic score and intense, grim murder scenes imbue the audience with a sense of creepy claustrophobia perfectly in-keeping with the bloody themes of the Scottish play.

In certain scenes the bleak, tunnel-like set (designed by Lizzie Clachan) takes on an almost horror movie-like feel, with strobe lighting and jerking dance routines disarming the audience and highlighting the tortured mindset of the protagonist.

The scenes of Macbeth's unravelling sanity fit well with this visceral, pared-down style; unlike many adaptations, the Young Vic's Macbeth focuses slightly less on psychological realism and more on the delivery and look of Macbeth's mental state in a metaphorical sense, enhanced by sensory techniques such as light and sound.

Shakespeare traditionalists may take this in-your-face approach as distracting from the narrative, but I took the urban, post-apocalyptic feel of the dancing witches, electronic soundtrack and futuristic atmosphere to be refreshing compared to the myriad straight-laced, traditional versions I had to endure throughout my Bachelor's degree.

Captivating set, absorbing delivery

Intense murder scenes benefited from this creepy, affronting style - Lady Macduff's death scene for example was made all the more affecting through use of intermittent plunging blackouts - however in quieter scenes the sparse set made the dialogue lull in places.

Due to these theatrical dips, scenes right after bold, strobe-lit dance routines tended to lose impact. Lady Macbeth - although Anna Maxwell Martin gave a stunningly nuanced performance - was swallowed a little by the disturbing witches and intense murders.

The captivating set, absorbing delivery (the two-hour play included no interval) and brilliantly creepy choreography made for an enjoyable spectacle, however somewhat glossed over the politics and depth of emotion that Shakespeare is so loved for.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the play, as I favour bold designs and inventive takes on classics, as well as well-executed physical theatre. On the other hand, for Shakespeare traditionalists, this adaptation may not contain quite enough depth to win you over. In terms of originality, however, The Young Vic triumphs.

Macbeth runs at The Young Vic until Saturday January 23, 2016 before transferring to Birmingham Repertory Theatre and HOME Manchester.

Tickets for The Young Vic performances cost from £10.

The Young Vic , 66 The Cut, London, SE1 8LZ - 020 7922 2922