Mc Daddy & Lady Beth – The Musical True Crime Story of Two Teenage American Serial Killers
‘The Scottish Play’ by Shakespeare is always at the Fringe in some guise or other. This year Eric Schrode’s adaptation sees it developed in to a rock musical crime story of two teenage American serial killers. I am beginning to think Eric has a thing about Shakespeare, gangsters and rock music but not specifically in that order. The show is simply set with three acting areas and a central promenade leading to either side. Stage left is a blank area with no set, stage right has a bank of chairs set to form three sides of a rectangle, finally centre stage. Hidden behind a black curtain is the throne of Mac Daddy magnificent and bloody in its unveiling. The acting prowess of the whole ensemble means I should not pick out performers for special mention but couldn’t pass the opportunity to say, should I believe in reincarnation, Freddie Mercury is alive and well in the body of Clay DeRouen-Hawkins as Le Knox. Both Zach Appel as Slam Dunkin / Angus / Mr. Duff and Kurt Kanazawa as the Banker / Dr Jimmy have  good voices and what is known as stage presence. Sam Martin as Lady Beth performs superbly changing from a confident ambitious woman to a mentally disturbed suicidal wreck. The three witches who are also murderers are Cat Stevens, Natalie Williams and Taylor Lasley. Hannah Platt, Zoe Johnson, Annie McGrath and Ali Peachman play all other parts. Last but definitely not least is Adam Cochran as Mac Daddy. It has been some time since I have heard Adam sing and yet he was as good if not better than I remember, he has a special something and it is occasionally difficult to focus on the point of action if he is not in the middle of it. The band is Andrew Smith, Ally House, Ben Flesch, Luke Heller and Isamu McGregor. This is a very powerful and imaginative adaptation beautifully performed, directed and choreographed with clever use of rock classics. To misquote one ‘They are the Champions’. ****