Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence by Crash Theatre Company is part of the House of Oz Edinburgh Fringe 2025 season.
Where: Studio One at Assembly George Square Studios
When: 30 Jul-25 Aug
Ticket link: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/lady-macbeth-played-wing-defence
The season also includes The Listies: Make Some Noise by The Listies, You’re An Instrument by The Sonicrats, FLICK by Mad Nun Productions, Ten Thousand Hours by Gravity & Other Myths, TRIPTYCH Redux by Lewis Major Projects, Orpheus and Eurydice by Circa (at the Edinburgh International Festival), and Skinny by Michelle Pearson.
More information is available at: https://www.houseofoz.co.uk/edfringe-2025
Courtney McManus joins us for an interview about her show.
Australian, musical, Shakespeare, netball. Where did the inspiration come from?
We wanted to explore power and ambition through a distinctly female and Australian lens, using something as familiar and fiercely competitive as school netball which coincidentally works as a metaphor for the battles that occur between characters in Macbeth.
Layering in Shakespeare gave it dramatic weight, while the pop-synth score by Project BEXX injected energy and heart. It’s a blend of worlds that shouldn’t work together, but somehow do and that’s the magic of it.
This female-led show has won much acclaim and many awards already. What makes it click with audiences,
Audiences connect with the humour, and heart of the show. It’s bold and ridiculous at times, but it also taps into something real, that feeling of trying to prove yourself, to lead, to belong.
There’s something powerful about seeing strong, flawed, hilarious women driving the story. And musically, it’s catchy as hell.
Whether you love Shakespeare, sport, or just a good laugh, there’s something in it for everyone.
How did you start out in theatre? Do you find Fringe festivals inspiring?
We are CRASH, a radical, independent theatre company based in Boorloo (Perth, Western Australia), led by two young women, Ana and Courtney.
Born out of a university common room and over a decade of collaboration, CRASH creates bold, original work that is authentic, messy, and raw.
We champion stories of resilience, risk, and resourcefulness, giving voice to artists from all walks of life. Since our beginnings we’ve grown into a home for creatives who want to challenge the norm.
Fringe festivals have been a huge part of our journey, giving us the freedom to take risks, connect with audiences, and build something bigger than ourselves.
What are you looking forward to the most in Edinburgh?
We are so excited to see how international audiences respond to our weird, wonderful netball-Shakespeare-musical mash-up. Edinburgh has such a rich theatre culture, and the idea of performing alongside some of the world’s most inventive and daring artists is honestly a dream.
What’s next after Fringe?
We would love to continue touring Australia and beyond! The dream is to take Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence to new places, new courts, and new audiences. Maybe even creating a longer version so the Shakespearean netball pop-synth dance party never stops!