Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#120): Courtney McManus, LADY MACBETH PLAYED WING DEFENCE
As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Courtney McManus to find out more about her show, Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence.
1. Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?
Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is a chaotic, hilarious, and heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth if it were set in a high school netball team. We were was inspired by the power and ferocity of teenage girls, the weird social politics of school sports, and the idea that Lady Macbeth should’ve been given the chance to redeem herself.
2. What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
Going to Edinburgh Fringe has been on the vision board since Crash Theatre Company was founded in 2023. Lady Macbeth Played Wing Defence is the show that’s culminated from all our preparation, hard work, and creative growth—it feels like the perfect expression of who we are as a company. We’re incredibly grateful to House of Oz, our philanthropic fairy godmothers, for co-producing the show and making our Edinburgh debut possible.
3. How would you describe your show in three words?
Bibs. Blood. Betrayal.
4. What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
We hope they leave feeling like they’ve been part of a team and reflect on the pressures we put on ourselves and each other, especially as women. We want people to believe in the power of female athletes and the importance of women in sport. There’s something electric about women owning space on the court and onstage, and we hope that energy sticks with audiences long after the final whistle.
5. What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Rest. Fringe can be a whirlwind, but your body and brain need downtime to keep performing at your best. Don’t feel like you have to be “on” all the time and don’t feel guilty for taking time for yourself. The chill performers are the ones who make it to closing night without coughing up a lung.
6. Where and when can people see your show?
Assembly George Square Studios - Studio One at 4:15pm from Wednesday 30th July-Monday 25th of August. See you on the court, b*tch!
INSTAGRAM: @crashtheatre.co
SHOW LINK:https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/lady-macbeth-played-wing-defence
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