Ever wanted Macbeth to have more lesbians? What am I saying? Everyone wants more lesbians, and Melbourne University Shakespeare Company’s (MUSC) Macbureau gave Macbeth the lesbians it sorely missed, with (not-at-all pointed) critiques of university systems to boot. As someone who doesn’t tolerate mocking people in the same or worse position as the comedian vibe with most comedy, I enjoyed having jokes that mocked actual societal issues instead of committing lateral violence suited my Tumblr-tainted comedic sensibilities. A long way to say, from its many gems of dialogue to a beautifully simple set (designed by Sofia Macchi Watts), Macbureau was an engaging and fun watch.

Not to Go On About the Writing but WOW

When you’re adapting Shakespeare, the main question you face is how to engage a modern audience. Writer and co-director Claire Le Blond provides an original answer, making her play a somewhat disorientating, but certainly engaging, mixing pot of Shakespearian language and queer humour. I mean it, some lines could easily be a Tumblr textpost with the ‘queer humour’ tag.

Overworked grad-students yawn during monologues like a modern Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hospitality-worn baristas gossip and  mess with characters like fairies straight from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The self-proclaimed “tragicomedy” Macbureau modernises Shakespearian wordplay and slapstick to hilarious effect, brimming with one-liners and satire.

Unfortunately, the performance fairs less well with “tragi-” side of things, struggling, as most productions do, with Shakespearian monologues, escalating until characters complain about monologuing in-script. The modernisation blurs monologuing with a uni-student’s self-intellectualisation which, rather than helping, makes the monologues ten times worse. Suffering through a monologue on the glass cliff phenomenon I wondered – am I really this irritating? So at least they gave me more self-awareness.

Macbeth’s masterpiece monologues connect you to the character and how you too could fall to those depths. Similarly, when Macbureau engages with their characters it shines: Lady Macbeth begging Macbeth to tell her she wanted this; Banqua telling Macbeth we’re all smart, we just need to be fair – these lines were breathtaking, and I only wish there were more of them.

Guess Who Didn't Have to Use Earplugs?

On a tangent, I’ll offer y’all a rundown of the accessibility accommodations at the relaxed performance. Directors Le Blond and Narii Hamil did a fantastic job meeting sensory needs: toning down sound design, avoiding blue light, and supplying subtitles beside the performance.

They offered a content pack with trigger warnings, a scene-by-scene summary, and an explanation of how to reach the performance (which, as it was only available at the entrance, was completely redundant). The pack also stated early entry to assist with mobility difficulties - a fantastic accommodation, if there actually was early entry. There also wasn’t an intermission, likely a creative choice but not the best choice for an accessibility performance, where some probably needed it.

This said, I didn’t spend 5 hours recovering after watching the play, so as someone with sensory sensitivities, the accommodations were super useful for me. But they did miss the mark for people with other needs.

Watch Me Try Not to Gush About How Outstanding Pheobe Gollop Was as Banqua

Macbureau was a student production which, on one hand, means the acting was (naturally) not Emmy-worthy. But on the other hand, the actors clearly had fun, creating an authentic and infectious energy you don’t get with more “serious” productions. Shoutout to the three witches (Declan Farr, Amy Dunn and Emily Couzins) in particular, for having so much fun they single-handedly upped the entire performance’s energy. The chemistry between actors carried the show: Ashleigh Holloway, the titular Macbeth, did a spectacular job making her relationships endearing. And banter between Banqua (Pheobe Gollop) and their grad-student Macduff (Karissa Chowdary) was my highlight of the entire performance.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is tragic because you watch Macbeth and Lady Macbeth fall from good people to corrupted shells. Macbureau falls short with this, literally telling the audience that power corrupts, but not actually showing Macbeth or Lady Macbeth (Emmaline Vagg) degrade. Other characters claim Macbeth changes, but Macbeth keeps a similar physicality and tone the entire story. Lady Macbeth’s breakdown was incredibly well acted but interrupted by a rushed ending and disorientating shift to the surreal (which had, admittedly, beautiful lightwork accompanying it, courtesy of Meg Bonnes.)

Macbureau balances modernisation with a Shakespearian spirit in a more thrilling and original way than most adaptions I’ve seen. The play modernised the cheekiness of a Rosencrantz or Puck; with queer humour and winks at the camera, producing comedy that targeted societal issues just as brazenly as William “whoops I started a revolt against Queen Elizabeth” Shakespeare did. The performance did fall short in emotional depths, but when Macbureau rejected an ‘intellectual’ Shakespeare and embraced their characters’ messy humanity, it shined, creating a fun and infectious energy. Despite the play’s struggles with emotional connection, I like to be entertained, so I’ll  trade emotional realism for fun any day, and look forward to what MUSC, Le Blond and Hamil have in store next.