The Barden Party were formed in New Zealand during the pandemic when the actors and musicians had their work cancelled. They create immersive gig versions of Shakespeare’s plays and perform them in gardens and outdoor spaces. They tell us during the introduction that having lights is a luxury, one they make good use of, although the most magical moment is two sticks covered in fairy lights. They also tell us to take as many photos as we like, but not to post videos online because they don’t have the rights to the songs. The songs set the mood, rather than advancing the story, but none of them were familiar, One would have assumed they were original.

The style is a rock-folk-country infused bluegrass, and the songs are well chosen. It would have been jarring to have Macbeth sing directly about ambition, or Malcolm sing about his father’s death, or in this case her mother’s. They keep the gendered names, but the casting is gender-blind. Macbeth is a woman, Lady Macbeth is a man, King Duncan is Queen Duncan, Malcolm is a woman, and the three weird sisters are two weird brothers. The weird brothers slide on intensely hissing their plans, and while we might be in the Appalachian Mountains, it’s more reminiscent of the Australian outback. The cast break the fourth wall, mix modern interjections with the poetry, and make the audience into the ex-Thane of Cawdor.

Macbeth is cool and steely, until she’s vulnerable and afraid. It makes us invest in the tragedy. This is probably the only production where you would have been able to fully understand the plot without knowing it already. Lady Macbeth works surprisingly well as a man. He’s an anxious, nerdy type. His keenness to kill the Queen comes across as a mania that will soon slump into suicidal depression. Queen Duncan is warm and loyal and doesn’t deserve the betrayal. Malcolm has an appealing innocence. The Porter is genuinely funny. Banquo’s fate is harrowing. And Macduff is heroic.

It’s bawdy, rollicking fun, with a high energy that defies their unforgiving morning slot, and leaves the audience toe-tapping and ready for the day. But there are also moments of Gothic tension as the Devil joins the weird brothers and Macduff swears revenge. And moments of real pathos, as Macbeth, grief-stricken and desperate sings about sparrows and tackles the ‘sound and fury’ lines amid a howling cacophony that suggests that however much life might seem meaningless, being a murderer and traitor is a terrible way to seal your fate.

‘Macbeth‘ is at ZOO Southside – Studio until Sun 24 Aug 2025 at 10:40