Mackenzie: Setting and Inspiration

Director Virginia Gay approached the production of Mackenzie through identifying four interconnected theatrical realms present in the play: Shakespearean Tragedy, Early 2000's Children's Television, Camp Horror, Comedy, and The Stadium.

Shakespearean Tragedy: As an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the production aligns with the heightened stakes and tumultuous thematic and moral journeys present in the original play, and the epic scope of Shakespearean tragedy.

Early 2000's Children's Television: Source material also stems from more recent times. Yve Blake's play is deliberately modelled on a very specific period of children's television, set in the Nickelodeon era from 2006 – 2013 in which child stars were the height of celebrity. Design inspiration has been taken from many shows (or as Virginia Gay likes to refer to them, ‘ancient texts') within this period including Hannah Montana, High School Musical and Camp Rock.

Camp Horror: Inspiration has been taken from the genre and motifs present in camp horror films, leaning towards theatricality, stylised performances, absurdity and gore. In this way, the audience's journey is one of entertainment, rather than actual fear.

Comedy: While exploring dark content, the production is incredibly comedic and lends on comedic tropes and styles throughout. The play is littered with parody, satire and self-referential moments that connect with the audience. The high comedy reinforces the absurdity of the setting, content and celebrity culture explored in the play.

The Stadium: Virginia Gay references ‘the stadium’ as theatrical spectacle, and a literal and symbolic performance space. Mackenzie is constantly on show, as an actor on screen, in her personal life as a celebrity, and on set by the entire crew and production team. Every move and decision she makes is watched and analysed, just as we, the audience, watch her navigate this. The stadium references the extreme heights of celebrity, and sheer scale of audience to Mackenzie and television at this time.