Director Ian Brown's production of the Scottish play is notable mainly for not being in the slightest bit Scottish. Nothing particularly wrong with that. Not so long ago York Theatre Royal gave us a Japanese-style Macbeth, which sounded gimmicky but worked well.

Brown, by his own admission in the programme notes, offers a "stripped-back" production, set in a barren no man's land with the odd prop and a giant dagger the size of a skyscraper descending from on high. Anyone asking: "Is this a dagger I see before me?" needs their eyes tested.

The no-frills approach has also robbed the production of any passion and excitement. This must be one of the dullest Macbeths ever.

Shakespeare's words are spoken in a clear declamatory fashion that means you hear every word but wish there was some emotion behind them instead of just shouting.

The witches live up to the description of "weird sisters" as two of them are men but, apart from a few fire tricks, are resolutely unmagical.

Michelle Fairley's Lady Macbeth has fire in her belly but she and David Westhead's Macbeth might as well be appearing in different plays for all the spark there is between them. He looks like a successful businessman having an increasingly bad day at the office, lacking the weight and devious determination if we're to believe Macbeth really will stop at nothing to get to the top.

Until March 24. Tickets 0113-2137700.

Steve Pratt