Evoking most people’s school years, a wave of nostalgia comes over me as I enter the room to netball outfits and warming up. I sadly never got to be in bright pink, but the days of my youth suddenly game to the forefront.

Unlike my youth, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is a story of plotting, scheming and sabotage (… well… hopefully not like my youth at an all girl’s school). Approaching the well know Shakespearean tale of Macbeth, Crash Theatre Co and House of Oz modernise this tale and put it in the context of a high school netball team. Macbeth very much wants to be captain but keeps missing the mark, and then she embarks on a series of gossip, physical injury, resulting in a bitter sweet captain-ship. Along the way, she loses friends, respect and ultimately has to confess.

The story slightly divulges from the original – the story has a somewhat a happy ending, zero deaths and a slight misnomer with the name – Lady Macbeth refers to Macbeth as a female, as opposed to the original character. Yes, their approach to this is well constructed and tries to keep to the original tale and it is fun but it felt like a trick was missed with naming it “Lady Macbeth” and not trying to feminist it up, by following her story-line instead. In fact, she sadly doesn’t appear at all.

This is a musical, with original songs, and they are catchy, well performed and certainly evoking an idea and theme presented by Six – a “historical” story, told in a more modern, spicy and musical way. It pokes fun at itself and this is pretty enjoyable. It is professionally performed and choreographed, and feels like the foundation of something that could flourish.

Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is a great concept, pulling from the successes that came before it like Six and is one of the modern approaches to Shakespeare that does work. It however feels still as if it has a way to go to become a big success.