As concepts go, it’s a good ‘un: a mash-up of Shakespeare’s Macbeth with a high school coming of age story with original songs? Eh, yes please (and it seems half of Adelaide agrees; the run pretty much sold out weeks ago). Courtney McManus’s script certainly scores the goals: sharp and witty, there are plenty of switcheroo moments to savour as it blends the OG Macbeth with Mac Beth’s white-hot desire to captain the school netball team. The three weird sisters become the Dagger Divas, pink cloak-clad sirens of doom, while any given character is likely to drop from modern-teen idiom into blank verse at any given time, often with very funny results.

But this is a musical, and songs in music theatre have to have a purpose, either to drive the action forward or allow characters to express deeper emotions. While the songs are all enjoyable, they don’t always hit that specific mark, and there are a few missed opportunities to help us understand Mac Beth as more of a fully rounded character rather than simply a brat. The emotional connection isn’t there, which means the audience doesn’t go from interested observer to passionately invested believer; that essential alchemy that allows us to suspend disbelief. Uneven performances and poor venue sound don’t help either. Still, it’s a fun show, and great to see a new musical with an all-female cast and creative team telling younger women’s stories.