Fresh off a smash-hit award-winning season and ahead of lighting up Edinburgh Fringe, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence releases a new EP. Giving audiences a teaser of the full match, this first quarter presents the opening hit power numbers that set up play. Seeing Lady Macbeth’s ambition unfold in the savage world of high school netball, this all-female musical brings court-side chaos and full-contact ambition to life. We sat down with the cast to talk about their upcoming performances at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Thank you for chatting with A Young(ish) Perspective! Introduce us to who you are and what you’re doing at the Edinburgh Fringe this year?
We’re Crash Theatre Company, a queer, all-female and non-binary team from Australia who make theatre that’s raw, messy, and pushes boundaries. At this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, we’re bringing our show Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence, which is basically a feminist pop-synth Shakespeare musical, set on a high school netball court. It’s loud, sweaty, and full of energy, and it’s all about celebrating women in sport and giving female athleticism the spotlight it deserves.
A Youngish Perspective platforms accessible arts and champions the huge scope of different perspectives – can you tell us about the show you’re taking to Edinburgh Festival Fringe as if you’re flyering to both a young first-time-Fringe goer and a festival veteran returning every year?
If you’re new to Fringe, this show is a wild, fun mash-up of Shakespeare, netball, and pop music, all wrapped up in a hot pink package. You don’t need to know the original Macbeth or even be into sport to get it. It’s full of energy, humour, and heart, and it’s about ambition, friendship, and what it means to want to win at any cost. For the Fringe regulars, we’re bringing you a fresh take on a classic, hailed an “ingenious reworking”, with an all-female cast that’s rewriting Shakespeare through the lens of teen girl power and competitive sport. Expect catchy songs, sharp humour, and a bit of chaos, all set on a netball court. It’s Shakespeare, but not as you know it.
While ambition and intense drive can be an incredible motivator, it can also be a corrupting force. How does Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence address this through the relationships we see on stage?
In Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence, ambition is everywhere. It’s what drives the players on the netball court, but it also creates tension and conflict off the court. The characters are young and still figuring out who they are, so their intense drive sometimes spills over into jealousy, pressure, and even betrayal. The show really digs into how ambition can push people to do incredible things, but also how it can fracture friendships and make things complicated. It’s messy and real, just like those teenage years where you’re trying to balance wanting to win with wanting to be a good friend.
Women have historically been villainised for craving success, how does Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence address how society’s view of womanhood is often at odds with ambition? How does that impact your individual understanding of the piece?
In the original Macbeth, Lady Macbeth never really gets a chance at redemption. She’s ambitious, cunning and then she’s gone. There’s no space for her to reflect, to grow, or to make things right. And honestly, we know now that female ambition can be just as sharp and intense as any man’s. But what we were more interested in exploring was the fallout. What happens when you give everything to succeed… and still fail? That’s where our show really comes into its own. In Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence, we actually get to see ‘Lady Macbeth’ reckon with the damage she’s caused. She takes responsibility, she tries to fix things. She’s still unapologetically ambitious and clever, but this time she gets to learn her lesson. We want people, especially young women to see that failing doesn’t make you weak. It’s what you do after that counts. Ambition gets you on the court, but humility, compassion, and the people around you? That’s what wins the game.
Who would your surprise dream audience member be?
Dame Judi Dench because she’s basically the queen of Shakespeare. It would be surreal to have her in the audience, watching our chaotic little netball musical version of Macbeth. If anyone could appreciate a bold take on the Bard, it’s her.
Catch Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence at Assembly George Square (Studio One), Edinburgh, EH8 9JX Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 6th, 13th, 20th), 16:15 and tickets are available here.
The show is part of the House of Oz Edinburgh 2025 season which also includes You’re An Instrument from The Sonicrats, The Listies: Make Some Noise from The Listies, FLICK from Mad Nun Productions, Ten Thousand Hours from Gravity & Other Myths, TRIPTYCH Redux by Lewis Major Projects, Orpheus and Eurydice by Circa (at the Edinburgh International Festival) and Skinny by Michelle Pearson.