The Scottish play, a famous Shakespeare tragedy, tells the story of a noble who wanted to be king, and encouraged by his wife, kills anyone in his way of the crown, bringing civil war to his country, and death to his family. Inspired by a real Macbeth from six hundred years earlier, Shakespeare’s story is familiar to audiences, not just in the many interpretations presented through stage and screen, but through the comparisons to the machinations of world leaders from every time, greedy for more power.

The Barden Party, a group of Shakespeare performers from New Zealand committed to presenting his works with relevance, fun, and outdoors, show us a wonderful version of the story, with seven actors playing all the parts, accompanied by music and song

Shakespeare’s language is retained, costumes are simple and Elizabethan-inspired – except for the ‘three weird sisters’, who in this case are two weird brothers. Indeed, all the genders are inverted in this production: the kings are queens, the ladies are gentlemen, and that choice gives strength to the relationship between Macbeth and their spouse – there’s a different and deeper empathy from an extraordinary and intense Laura Irish as the titular character.

The entire cast are excellent – they switch intensities with each character they inhabit, and bring great humour – from modern ad-libs, but more importantly, from the original text, by showing that Shakespeare was funny. These seven bring new life to old words. The music doesn’t jar either – bluegrass blended smoothly from being the background to important dialogue then breaking into meaningful song.

This is exciting and brilliant theatre, breathing new life into the Bard, with impact, passion, emotion and relevance that stays with you long after the final bows.