ARE THESE THE BEST 9 SHAKESPEARE SPIN-OFFS EVER?

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13.02.2026

2026 will be a stellar year for Shakespeare spin-offs, including the world premiere of Mackenzie and the recent cinema release of Hamnet. We asked a panel of Shakespeare experts to pick their favourite Shakespeare spin-offs and re-imaginings.

MOVIE: THRONE OF BLOOD

(Dir. Akira Kurosawa, 1957)

This towering, intense Japanese movie reimagines Macbeth as a samurai tale of honour, discipline and treachery. Shakespeare academic Dr Will Sharpe admires how director Akira Kurosawa ratchets up the tension and danger in every scene.

“I especially love how each betrayal is cast as a ‘crime against nature’ within a strict samurai code of honour,” says Will. “And the Lady Macbeth character is deeply unsettling, partly because director Kurosawa instructed the actor (Isuzu Yamada) never to blink. The effect is haunting, strange and entirely within the spirit of Shakespeare’s original – both in the obsessive focus of the Macbeths’ ambition, and the ‘sleep no more’ torments of their guilt.”

Dr Will Sharpe is the author of Shakespeare & Collaborative Writing (Oxford University Press) and a Teaching Fellow in Shakespeare at the University of Birmingham in the UK. 

MUSICAL: THE LOVERS

(By Laura Murphy)

First presented by Bell Shakespeare, this musical adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream almost blew the famous roof off the Sydney Opera House when it was first staged in October 2022. And a new production also wowed audiences in Brisbane and Sydney last year.

“Laura Murphy absolutely smashed it when she wrote The Lovers,” says Yve Blake. “When I saw it for the first time, I felt like a teenager discovering theatre again. The energy in the room was like a live pop concert, and the show perfectly captured the euphoria of young love. Even now, there are song melodies that are still stuck in my head.”

Yve Blake is the writer of Mackenzie – a camp, dark and deranged retelling of Macbeth. Mackenzie will be staged in Sydney (6 June – 18 July) and Melbourne (23 July – 9 August).

MOVIE: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

(Dir, John Madden, 1998)

Speculative movies about Shakespeare’s life usually leave Peter Evans cold – but he can’t deny having a soft spot for Shakespeare In Love. The romcom stars Joseph Fiennes as a young Will Shakespeare and Gwyneth Paltrow as the muse who inspires him to write Romeo and Juliet.

“This film is perfect for newcomers as it doesn’t take itself too seriously – and it’s also full of little ‘Easter eggs’ for Shakespeare buffs,” says Peter. “I love how it celebrates theatre as a communal act that can transcend everyday life. It asks the question: ‘Can a play capture something as elusive as love?’ and comes out on the side of ‘Yes, it can!’ It’s just delightful.”

Peter Evans is Bell Shakespeare’s Artistic Director. In 2026, he is directing Julius Caesar (March to May in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra) and Macbeth (touring nationally September to December).

PAINTING: SCENE FROM A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

(Edwin Landseer, 1851)

On a daily basis, Head of Education Joanna Erskine finds herself mesmerised by Edwin Landseer’s depiction of fairy queen Titania and the tradie-turned-donkey Bottom. The painting is her desktop wallpaper when she’s sitting in the office at Bell Shakespeare.

“It’s so evocative that I could look at it forever,” says Joanna. “There are all these rich details and playful scenes within it – and I love that Bottom’s head is that of an actual donkey.” No wonder it inspired Lewis Carroll, who saw the painting and then created the character of the White Rabbit for what became Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

Joanna Erskine is Bell Shakespeare’s Head of Education, overseeing the company’s national education program, delivered for students and teachers across Australia. The painting can be seen at the National Gallery of Victoria.  

BOOK: HAMNET

(By Maggie O'Farrell)

Before the movie, there was this stunning novel, which centres on Agnes Hathaway, William Shakespeare’s wife, and the tragic loss of their child Hamnet. Actor Matilda Ridgway devoured the book within a week when she first read it in 2020. 

“Historical fiction used to have a bad rep but books like Hamnet are so brazen, wild and brave,” says Matilda. “O’Farrell takes on Shakespeare – one of the titans of our cultural history – and challenges lazy assumptions made by (mostly male) historians about Shakespeare’s wife. Agnes is redrawn as a fiercely intelligent, loyal and resourceful woman. This book is a beautiful meditation on nature, grief and survival.”

Matilda Ridgway will play Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, which Bell Shakespeare will tour nationally from August to December.

CARTOON: TALES FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

(The Simpsons, 2002)

When writing about theatre for Bell Shakespeare, Andy McLean often prepares snappy plot summaries for audiences. So it’s no wonder he’s impressed by this Simpsons episode.

“Within just five minutes, the entire Hamlet story is retold – from spooky beginning to sticky end,” explains Andy. “Bart is hilarious as the avenging prince, and he even quotes directly from the play a couple of times. But my absolute favourite part is when Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Mel and their monkey perform an improv version of The Mousetrap scene.”

Andy McLean is a Sydney-based copywriter and podcaster who has written for Bell Shakespeare and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

PAINTING: OPHELIA 

(John Everett Millais, 1852)

While Taylor Swift clearly admires Friedrich Heyser’s portrait of Ophelia from Hamlet, James Evans is rapt by another by John Everett Millais. 

“Millais captures the horror of Ophelia’s death, and the beauty that surrounds her – exactly as described by Gertrude in the play,” says James. “The painting is so detailed and rich, with the lush greenery and the specificity of the different flowers that Ophelia is holding and that are floating around her.”

James Evans is Bell Shakespeare’s Executive Director. He’s also host of the popular Shakespeare podcast Speak The Speech.

MOVIE: THE LION KING

(Disney, 1994)

As a child, Anthony Taufa had no idea that The Lion King borrowed its narrative thread from Hamlet. He just knew he loved the story.

“It’s an epic tale about someone killing their own brother to seize power and the son running away – then having to return to confront his legacy. The issues of duty, self-discovery and parental expectation all resonated with me, even as a kid.
“Years later, when I studied Hamlet at university, it was like hearing a new song but feeling like you recognised the chord progression. And suddenly I made the connection back to The Lion King!” 

Anthony Taufa will play the title role in Macbeth, which Bell Shakespeare will tour nationally from August to December. 

MUSICAL: KISS ME KATE 

(By Bell and Samuel Spewack)

First staged in 1948 and featuring music by the legendary Cole Porter, Kiss Me Kate recasts Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew as a meta tale about lovers’ spats among cast members in a theatre.

“Petruchio and Katarina are played by divorced actors,” explains Mairi Macdonald. “Their real-life relationship dynamics are mirrored in their on-stage roles, with life imitating art and vice versa. The ‘play within a play’ structure gives the story a real double whammy.” 

Mairi Macdonald is the former Head of Local Collections at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and a contributor to The New Dictionary of National Biography and the Oxford Companion to Shakespeare.

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