A smash hit.
When I spoke to playwright and composer Yve Blake in December 2025, she described wanting to write “a really silly show for the girls, gays and theys”. Seven months later, her new play Mackenzie has opened at The Nielsen Nutshell. Produced by Bell Shakespeare and directed by Virginia Gay, it is more than just a really silly show. It is a no holds barred adaptation of Macbeth that elevates Shakespeare’s classic and leaves behind a trail of glitter-soaked chaos, bedazzled disaster, and rhinestone-studded havoc.
Mackenzie is a contemporary take on Macbeth. In it, 13 year old Mackenzie (Kimberley Hodgson) is not aspiring to the Scottish throne, but the lead role in a mid-2000s Disney-esque show. Her mother Ruth (Nikki Britton) is the show’s Lady Macbeth; ambitious, manipulative, and decked out in Juicy Couture. Her friend Beau (Ryan González) is Banquo; loyal, dependable, and a self-described “gay ethnic Zac Efron”. As Ruth pushes Mackenzie into the show’s lead role, and then the height of teen stardom, the corrupting power of ambition tears Mackenzie’s world apart.
Photo Credit Brett Boardman.
Blake’s deep knowledge of Macbeth, and understanding of the child star, has led to the best script of 2026. Macbeth‘s themes, from ambition to guilt to the supernatural, retain their resonance. Their importance is not superseded by the desire to reimagine Shakespeare. Instead Blake integrates them brilliantly into a glitzy new world. The way Mackenzie descends into Hollywood narcissism, for example, is a genius reinvention of Macbeth’s descent into madness. Lady Macbeth’s hand washing fixation is cleverly rethought into Ruth’s obsession with hand care products. The list could go on; suffice to say, Blake’s script honours its inspiration beautifully.
At the same time her writing holds its own. It is goofy and serious all at once, combining zany one-liners with strong emotional monologues. Each character is richly detailed and immensely fascinating. Her music – the play features five original songs – is mid-2000s bubblegum pop at its stickiest. And the world of child stardom, with its external beauty and internal horrors, is wonderfully realised. It leaves one wondering which environment is more corrosive: Macbeth’s world of backstabbing thanes, or Mackenzie’s world of pre-pubescent actors.
The cast’s performances are spellbinding. Hodgson portrays Mackenzie’s character arc skilfully, with great vocals to boot. Britton plays Ruth with everything you’d expect from a Dance Mom type, bringing to life the character’s unrealised aspirations, sarky wit and villainous aura. Her performance of what is Lady Macbeth’s Act 5, Scene 1 soliloquy is powerful. González makes Beau an early audience favourite with their heartful and grounded performance, making the character’s demise the show’s most shocking moment. The remaining cast – Billie Palin, Anusha Thomas and Jane Watt – flesh out the action very nicely, respectively playing roles like a butch lesbian caterer (the show’s Macduff), nepo baby lead (King Duncan) and hairstylist (a Weird Sister). Watt’s performance as that hairstylist is one of the most memorable supporting acts this year.
Gay’s direction brings the perfect amount of camp. The stagecraft is lively and energetic despite some occasionally restricted viewing, which depends on where actors and set pieces are positioned. Design could not be better. Keerthi Subramanyam‘s set and costumes are hot pink diva and Disney Channel supreme, and the synchronisation between Kelsey Lee‘s vibrant lighting and Tom Lownde‘s electrifying sound design is flawless. Everything from a technical perspective gives wow.
Ultimately, Mackenzie is stunning. It’s a show for the Shakespeare traditionalists, for those who grew up watching Hannah Montana or High School Musical, and for those who simply want a fun night out. Go see it, whoever you are.
