By Abbey Wheeler
What do you get when you cross a Shakespearean classic with a girl-power musical comedy? No doubt the funniest reimagining of Macbeth you’ll ever see.
The brainchild of Perth’s own Crash Theatre Co., Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is a hilarious reimagining of the timeless tale, which swaps out 11th-century Scotland for the battlefields of the high school netball court. The story centres around Mac Beth’s (Orla-Jean Poole) ferocious quest to become captain of the year twelve netball team. Oh, and it’s set to the background of funky pop tunes provided by Perth musician Project BEXX.
The entire cast was superb, I couldn’t find fault in any of their singing or acting abilities. Courtney McManus as Coach Duncan was a particular crowd favourite, with impeccable comic timing and a belter of a singing voice.
The show could have benefitted from a larger venue: its current location in a side room of the Perth Town Hall was a little cramped, somewhat restricting viewing of the stage. However, the cast and crew worked well within the confined space. The choreography of all the dance numbers was exceptional and highly entertaining, especially considering the space they had to work with.
Full credit must also be given to the writers for the brilliant one-liners and seamless sprinkling of Shakespeare into the otherwise modern dialogue. The contrast of occasional Shakespearean quotes with the sassy quips of the cast proved a hilarious move. If you’re after a fun show with feminist undertones, you can’t go wrong with Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence.
After a sell-out season at Fringe World, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is heading to the Rechabite Main Hall for an encore performance on the 8th of March.
4.5/5 Pelicans.