If you thought Shakespeare was stuffy, Bell Shakespeare is about to change your mind in the most deliciously unhinged way possible. The company has announced the world premiere of Mackenzie — a dark, campy and satirical reimagining of Macbeth that asks one very important question: what if the Scottish king was actually a 13-year-old child star at the height of early 2000s TV fame? And what if Lady Macbeth was her ruthlessly ambitious stage mum?
The brainchild of multi-award-winning playwright and composer Yve Blake — the genius behind the cult musical Fangirls — Mackenzie comes complete with five original songs and a “very specific 2006 energy” that we are fully here for.
Taking the titular role is Kimberley Hodgson (Miss Saigon, Fangirls), with celebrated comedian Nikki Britton (Deadloch, How to Stay Married) playing her stage mum Ruth. They’re joined by Ryan Gonzalez (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Billie Palin, Anusha Thomas (Hamilton) and Jane Watt. At the helm is director Virginia Gay — actress, writer, and former Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival — who describes Blake’s writing as “joyful, pop-soaked and completely approachable.”
Blake herself has said the idea came to her “like a fever dream — like Macbeth’s witches turning up,” driven by a long fascination with the dark side of child stardom. True to form, she’s kept all the juiciest moments of the original intact — just wrapped in sequins and a Disney Channel aesthetic.
Mackenzie opens in Sydney at The Neilson Nutshell, Pier 2/3 from June 11 to July 18, before heading to Arts Centre Melbourne from July 24 to August 9.
Whether you’re a Shakespeare devotee, a Fangirls obsessive, or simply someone who has strong feelings about stage mums, this one has your name all over it.
Tickets available via bellshakespeare.com.au
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
