Fresh from their award-winning run at the Adelaide Fringe, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is powering onto the courts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. CRASH Theatre Co shoots and scores with a hilarious original musical that serves hot, sporty, girl power like you’ve never seen before – all set to an infectious soundtrack.
In the cutthroat world of competitive netball, this cautionary tale explores the consequences of unchecked ambition and the fierce determination of teenage girls. Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is an energetic production that breathes new life into a literary classic, delving into themes of ambition, friendship and the consequences of one’s actions.
Mac Beth, a dedicated player, dreams of becoming the Year 12 Netball Captain but faces unexpected challenges when Coach Duncan appoints Chloe Macduff instead. From the first centre pass until the final whistle, what follows is a gripping rollercoaster of treachery, manipulation and redemption.
The winner of Sydney Fringe’s Best Cabaret and Musical Theatre and Perth Fringe’s Martin Sims Award, Adelaide Fringe Tour Ready Award and the prestigious House of Oz Purse Prize, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence has been met with resounding acclaim.
With a script by Courtney McManus, lyrics by McManus, Ana Ferreira Manhoso and Bec Price, and an electric pop-synth score by Project BEXX (Bec Price), the show is presented by an all-female powerhouse team of Australian artists, combining the sharp wit of lyric-driven storytelling with high energy dance anthems.
Courtney McManus shares, “I wanted to see what would happen if Lady Macbeth was stuck on a netball court instead of in a Scottish castle, still scheming, still ambitious, but with a bib instead of a crown.” The netball court becomes a perfect setting for power struggles, competition, and unspoken rules – a modern battlefield for teenage ambition.
Part of the House of Oz Edinburgh 2025 season, this production is for anyone who’s ever been told they were too much, too intense, or too ambitious.
