Taking as its central theme uncomfortable portrayals of female brutality, madness and violence, Macbeth Unsexed is an unhinged and genuinely unsettling examination of the darkness that lurks deep within the human psyche. It doesn’t actually have all that much to do with the Bard’s Scottish play besides a few passing references and a similar preoccupation with disturbed women; instead, it is a powerful ensemble piece featuring a cast of skilled young actors performing linked but essentially separate monologues.
The nightmarish atmosphere is established immediately, with blood-red drinks offered along with an ominous greeting - ‘welcome to hell’. The actors are instantly in character, uttering half-crazed remarks and interacting with the bemused audience. As a technique, it’s a clever way to quickly establish a palpable sense of growing unease.
The monologues and individual sections which make up the whole are mostly executed well, with some fine performances and equally impressive writing. There is a mischievous playfulness present in much of the show, at one point manifesting itself with the cast momentarily breaking into a twisted version of Chicago’s Cell Block Tango, in a sly nod to the outward similarities in theme.
Macbeth Unsexed is not without its flaws, noticeably some dodgy accents and tinny background music that veers from being eerily atmospheric to faintly ridiculous in the more dramatic moments. But these are thoroughly outweighed by the many positives and the striking, brave approach to theme and structure. Taken as a whole, it’s darkly impressive stuff that will leave you momentarily confused and more than a little bit shell-shocked.
