After a highly successful international 90-show tour spanning New Zealand and Australia, The Barden Party is bringing two award-winning productions to Prahran’s Chapel Off Chapel for a limited run this May.
Known for their bold musical reimagining of Shakespeare The Barden Party will present a double-bill of Macbeth with Romeo & Juliet. Both tales are reimagined with live music and unforgettable performances, whilst Macbeth presents a fierce gender-swap take on the Scottish play.
Romeo & Juliet is back and it’s bigger and better than ever, with original cast members returning – and some exciting new additions! Set as a modern-bohemian romance put to Kiwi and Australian music you love, and that you’ve never heard before… You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll dance the night away.
Following its Melbourne run, they will tour Macbeth to Scotland making it’s international debut at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In this audacious retelling, all the “kings” are played by Queens – powerful women commanding the stage with grit, grace, and no apologies.
At the heart of the production is real-life couple Laura Irish and Ollie Howlett as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, bringing electrifying chemistry and emotional nuance to this bold Southern Gothic adaptation. Backed by a live Americana/folk soundtrack, this Macbeth pulses with swagger, sorrow, and rebellion.
“We didn’t just swap genders – we flipped the power structure and watched it burn,” said co-director Ollie Howlett. “This isn’t a retelling. It’s a reclaiming.
The Queens at the helm include Laura Irish as Macbeth, Tara McEntee as Duncan and Julia Guthrey as Malcolm. The Queens will be supported by Criss Grueber as Banquo, Caleb James as Macduff and Hamish Boyle as Ross.
Macbeth marks The Barden Party’s second Australian tour and sixth full-scale show in just three years. From private gardens to national festivals, they’ve carved a name for their intimate, irreverent, music-infused Shakespeare and bold immersive theatre.
Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet will play at Chapel Off Chapel from 27 May – 1 June 2025. For more information, visit: www.thebardenparty.com for details.
Image: Ollie Howlett and Laura Irish will be seen in Macbeth (supplied)