The curse of the Scottish play has struck again, after a series of disasters cast a long shadow over a theatre company staging a riots-themed Macbeth.

Since being inspired by the horror of seeing their town go up in flames, Croydon-based theatre group Breakfast Cat have been beset by troubles, with cast members robbed and beaten and their rehearsal rooms closed following a murder.

Company vice-chairman Robert Preston was caught in the midst of the town centre disorder last August, while only metres from his home Trevor Ellis was brutally shot and killed.

He said: “It was like being in a film. I was in the Green Dragon watching it happen.

At first it was the youths, but then as it escalated fully grown men were coming in to take advantage.

It is sickening to think about.

I managed to get home only to find out the next day a man was shot outside my kitchen window.”

A litany of troubles have since haunted the production, which is using the terrible events of August 8 and 9 as a backdrop for the traditionally cursed Shakespearean tragedy.

Mr Preston, who plays Macbeth, was mugged shortly after the idea of performing the production was conceived, major cast members have pulled out, a fellow cast member, 18-year-old Mitchell Laban, was assaulted outside East Croydon station and a murder outside the Ship pub closed their rehearsal room.

Mr Laban, cast as Donalbain, suffered cracked ribs, a fractured foot and ligament damage to his knee after being attacked by five men on April 7, exactly a week after 25-year-old Chris Isted was stabbed to death in Croydon High Street.

He said: “Fights happen but this was just an attack for the sake of it. Ironically I had a number of fight scenes but they have had to recast because I have to use a walking stick.”

The murder of Mr Isted shocked the cast, who had used the Ship for rehearsals since January. Ellie Dawes, who plays Thain of Ross, said: “It is the last place you would expect it.

"It makes you feel nowhere in Croydon is safe.”

Despite their troubles the cast are determined to continue with five performances scheduled between April 18 and 21 at the Charles Cryer Theatre, Carshalton.

Miss Dawes added: “Macbeth is a tragedy and we wanted the play to be a condemnation, not a glorification of the riots. This violence we have seen shows nothing has changed.

“Is this is the curse of the Scottish Play? Not really, that’s the reality of living in post-riot Croydon.”