PARENTS were warned that children may be upset when their primary school staged one of Shakespeare's most violent plays.

Macbeth, only referred to by actors as the Scottish play for fear of bringing bad luck, is one of the most violent of the Shakespearean tragedies and is notorious for its murder and dark scenes of betrayal.

Staff at Hackforth and Hornby Church of England Primary School, in Bedale, North Yorkshire, were worried that youngsters in the infants classes could be upset by some of the scenes, despite the play being a musical version put together for schools by the BBC.

They sent out letters to parents explaining that they were staging the play and that, if they felt their child was likely to be upset, they could come and collect them before it started.

The letter added that the parents were letting their children attend the performance at their own risk.

Headteacher Judy Borthwick said: "We sent a disclaimer out to the infants saying if parents did not want them to come and watch it, they could come and pick them up. We thought we better have it at parents' risk."

It is not thought that any of the parents took up the offer.

Mrs Borthwick said the play had been adapted, but the plotline was basically the same, except for the songs.

The school's junior pupils put on the play yesterday afternoon with 16 youngsters aged between eight and 11 involved in the production.

The juniors had been studying Macbeth throughout the summer term.

They decided to stage their own version after going to see a Shakespeare for Kids production in York.

Mrs Borthwick said: "They absolutely loved it and as a result of that, they thought they would like to have a go of their own."