Three witches descend from their perches on a darkened stage set to help a bloodied Lady Macbeth, who is in the throes of a miscarriage - delivering her stillborn baby on a hospital bed, before tossing it unceremoniously into a bin.

So begins Opera North's production of Verdi's Macbeth at Newcastle's Theatre Royal, setting the scene and tenor for Tim Albery's uncompromising depiction of corruption, power and violence.

Kelly Cae Hogan is a commanding Lady Macbeth, bolstering her spineless husband in his regicidal deeds and providing a backbone to the production with convincing acting and passionate singing.

The feckless Macbeth is stoutly played by a muscular-voiced Bela Perencz, with his descent into paranoid madness in the apparition scene brilliantly portrayed.

David Roberston puts in a short but authoritative account of King Duncan, before meeting his sticky and very bloody end on the bed, while Paul Whelan sings Banquo with a rich baritone voice.

The revived production is set in a nameless totalitarian state, with John Engels’ stark monochrome set brought to life by the atmospheric lighting of Bruno Poet – the only dash of colour provided by copious amounts of fake blood.

In one memorable scene a steady procession of baby princes pop out of Lady McDuff, to be given little gold crowns.

Jung Soo Yun, as Macduff, steals the show with a superlative aria lamenting Macbeth’s murder of his wife and children.

The chorus delivers the magnificent Verdian set pieces with fervour and clarity of diction, while the music from the pit, under the baton of Tobias Ringbord, packs a punch – and is full-blooded.

The performance is repeated at 7pm tomorrow (Thursday, March 13). Box office: 0844 811 2121.