Review by Michelle Sutton
Crash Theatre presents Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence as part of Sydney Fringe. The show certainly sets expectations high with its instantly iconic title and delightfully fun and original concept of a musical that fuses Shakespearean tragedy, a sacred Australian sport and the complexity of teenage girl ambition and friendships.
Courtney McManus, one of the writers and lyricists for the show also stars as coach. McManus delivers comedic gold throughout the whole show culminating in a number where her soaring vocals dazzle. McManus somehow manages to channel the very specific essence of every quirky school coach or PE teacher who “almost made it”. Lyricist and creative producer of the show, Ana Ferreira Manhoso also plays the sassy character of Mia. Emily Semple commits to playing the goth girl on the team so believably that I don’t think I saw her crack a smile the entire hour run of the show. Georgia McGivern’s vocal agility stands out amongst the talented ensemble and she is responsible for a lot of the laughs throughout the show. Her inspired characterisation of a ditzy character is funny, new and charming. Kate Sisley plays the kind, gentle and supportive friend Summer and gets her moment to shine in a ballad. Shannon Rogers serves as choreographer of the show and plays the role of GA and one of Mac’s main rivals. The show draws on stereotypes and attributes commonly associated with each position on the court to hilarious effect. Gabriella Munro plays the shameless over-enthusiastic teacher’s pet role extremely well and Orla-Jean Poole as Macbeth “Mac” completes the cast. Poole tackles the titular role with an intensity and determination and stuns with a beautifully rich voice, perfect for the character of Mac who longs to be powerful. All of the performers in the show are captivating and fully-committed to embodying the extremely high-stakes of a Year 11 inter-school netball competition.
The script has been crafted expertly, integrating Shakespearean dialogue and themes into modern Australian teenage girl dialogue. The show’s take on the characters of the witches in Macbeth is bizarrely wonderful. The songs in the show are cleverly constructed with catchy hooks, good characterisation and just the right amount of netball puns. Choreography in the show is minimal but effective, combining dance, iconic netball moves and Shakespearean imagery to great comedic effect. The simple costuming of bright fluorescent pink netball uniforms and simple staging of a pink bench and netball hoop work well for the space and immediately set a fun and nostalgic tone. The lighting design in the musical is playful, shifting between bright and darker in certain songs in which Mac’s twisted ambitions start to arise.
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is an absolute treat: clever, surprising, funny and utterly entertaining. It will be especially gipping for those of us who recall freezing Winter Saturday mornings and orange slices, practicing our bounce passes and pivoting, and showing our hands to the umpire for a nail-check before starting each game. It is sure to be one of the biggest hits of Sydney Fringe. It will thrill lovers of netball and Shakespeare alike, it is a wonderfully written and brilliantly performed piece of theatre that will no doubt go on to be staged and bigger venues in the future, I advise you to see it as soon as you can.
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