Fans praise Outlander’s Sam Heughan amid his emotional goodbye as his successful theater run ends
Outlander star Sam Heughan has received glowing praise from fans following his final performance as Macbeth at Stratford-upon-Avon, with backstage visits from Ian McKellen and Judi Dench
Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe stars of hit series Outlander(Image: STARZ)
Outlander star Sam Heughan has received an outpouring of admiration from fans after bidding farewell to his most recent stage production.
The Scottish actor, best known for playing the much-loved Highland warrior Jamie Fraser on the hit Starz series, recently returned to theater after over a decade to portray Macbeth at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon.
His stage comeback garnered critical acclaim, with The Guardian giving it five stars and calling it “a terrifying lock-in with bloodied, boozed-up gangsters.” This modern take on Shakespeare’s classic tragedy reimagined the iconic Scottish nobleman as a Glasgow gangster married to a pub landlord, portrayed by Lia Williams.
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After his closing performance last Saturday (December 6th), Heughan took to Instagram to thank everyone who attended, reports the Scottish Daily Express, reports the Mirror.
Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser before taking on the iconic role of Macbeth(Image: STARZ)
Sharing behind-the-scenes photos that included visits from theater icons Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench, he wrote: “‘Happy prologues to the swelling act of the imperial theme!'”
“Thank you to everyone that came to watch. What a fitful fever that was! ! An honour to work with the best company and play the thane of Cawdor, in Stratford upon Avon.”
Dedicated fans who saw his theatrical performance filled the comments section with enthusiastic praise. “I feel so lucky I had the chance to see this play three times in november. You were amazing,” one Instagram user wrote.
“Seeing you as Macbeth, see the expression on your face, the anxiety, the fear, the anger, the frustration, the sadness, a rollercoaster of emotions were there and I got [to] see and feel them all. You were really incredible. The whole cast was amazing. What an experience this was.”
Another fan responded: “You and the whole cast and crew was amazing! Such a 180 from playing [Jamie]. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
“I was there for the first preview. Thank you so much, Sam,” a third commented.
“You and the rest of the cast were amazing. You showed me a side of Macbeth I had never seen before.”
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A final admirer wrote: “It was a joy to watch you and the company, and at times quite scary! I truly hope to see you in more plays in theatre.”
Heughan will return to his iconic role as Jamie one last time opposite Caitriona Balfe, who plays his time-traveling doctor wife Claire.
The eighth and final season of Outlander is slated to premiere next March, followed by a second installment of the new prequel spin-off series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood.
As for Heughan’s future projects, he’s set to star alongside Ewan McGregor, Juno Temple, and Mark Strong in Everest, an upcoming period survival drama.
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