Bell Shakespeare's 'Mackenzie' reinvents Macbeth as teen pop star drama
Bell Shakespeare's latest production 'Mackenzie', written by Yve Blake and directed by Virginia Gay, reimagines Macbeth as a 13-year-old girl navigating the cutthroat world of children's entertainment in 2006. The play features five original pop songs and runs at Arts Centre Melbourne until 9 August. The production comes amid revelations about toxic workplace culture in 2000s children's television, echoing themes from the docuseries 'Quiet on Set' and Jennette McCurdy's memoir 'I'm Glad My Mom Died'. The cast includes Kimberley Hodgson as Mackenzie, Ryan Gonzalez as Beau, and Billie Palin as Gayle. Sound design is by Tom Lowndes (Hot Dub Time Machine). The show is designed for touring with a minimalist set, and Bell Shakespeare offers discounted tickets for under-18s and under-35s. This is Blake's first script after the success of 'Fangirls'.
Key facts
- Mackenzie is a Bell Shakespeare production turning Macbeth into a teen pop star story set in 2006.
- Written by Yve Blake and directed by Virginia Gay.
- Features five original pop songs, described as a 'play with songs'.
- Kimberley Hodgson plays Mackenzie, Ryan Gonzalez plays Beau, Billie Palin plays Gayle.
- Sound design by Tom Lowndes (Hot Dub Time Machine).
- Playing at Arts Centre Melbourne until 9 August.
- Offers discounted tickets for under-18s and midweek discounts for under-35s.
- Designed for touring with a minimalist set.
Entities
Artists
- Yve Blake
- Virginia Gay
- Kimberley Hodgson
- Ryan Gonzalez
- Billie Palin
- Tom Lowndes
- Baz Luhrmann
- Catherine Martin
- Laura Murphy
- Jennette McCurdy
- Alannah Sue
Institutions
- Bell Shakespeare
- Arts Centre Melbourne
- Hayes Theatre
- Lyric Hammersmith Theatre
- Nickelodeon
- Disney Channel
- Creative Australia
- Working Dog
- Michael Cassel
- ScreenHub
- ArtsHub
- Time Out
- Limelight
- Urban List
- Sydney Opera House
Locations
- Melbourne
- Sydney
- London
- Australia
- United States