Ever sat through high school English, dissecting Macbeth, and thought, “Wait a sec – what if the stakes were just a tad higher?” What if, instead of a Scottish lord chasing the crown, it was a teen girl trying to land a Disney Channel series? Well, this is the twist Aussie playwright Yve Blake imagined – a twist that fuels her new play, Mackenzie. “I sat in a café one day and it was like an angel farted on me. The whole idea came as one and I went, ‘Maybe I gotta roll with this one!’” she says.

Though inspiration can sometimes strike like a dream, the journey to becoming an established playwright is paved with years of hard graft. Over the past five years, Yve has skyrocketed from rising talent to one of Australia’s most dynamic voices in theatre. In 2021, when her debut musical FANGIRLS toured Australia, critics raved, calling it “a production packed with powerhouses” and “delightfully unhinged.” The story follows a 14-year-old fan of fictional boy band True Connection. Yve was led to create the show after Zayn Malik left One Direction and the media branded young fans as “hysterical” and “crazy.” Keen to challenge those labels, she began developing FANGIRLS in 2016 during a residency at the Australian Theatre for Young People.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Yve Blake (@yveblake)

In 2024, Yve’s wildest dreams came true. FANGIRLS was picked up by Sonia Friedman, one of the world’s leading theatre producers and the powerhouse behind productions like Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. FANGIRLS was on its way to the West End. It’s rare for Australian theatremakers to see their homegrown productions leap from local stages to international venues like London’s West End or New York’s Broadway. One recent example is Prima Facie by Suzie Miller which, after its Australian debut, starred Jodie Comer in London and went on to win two Olivier Awards. So, with that kind of precedent, how did Yve feel stepping into the international spotlight? “When FANGIRLS went to the UK it was the dream of my life. But I felt so much pressure, because people were telling me that it was the first time an original Australian musical was getting a commercial run like that,” she says. Fortunately, the production received just as much love in the UK as it did at home, captivating a mostly young, female audience.

Inspired by this kind of active audience connection, Yve is among a new generation of theatremakers who are creating work to reach people outside the stereotypical theatregoing audience of wealthy, older patrons. “FANGIRLS got me hooked on the hard drug of making work that resonates with young people. It’s not strictly for young people – it’s for all generations – but it prioritises the experience of young people and brand-new theatergoers,” Yve says. This vision of a more inclusive theatre landscape has been a long time in the making. She still remembers her teenage self, sitting in darkened theatres and being the youngest face in the crowd. “I felt like I was a guest in a very polite space, a polite and expensive space, and it felt deeply formal.”

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Yve Blake (@yveblake)

Yve’s theatremaking ethos is, in many ways, a response to an industry in flux. The Australian theatre scene has endured huge disruptions, from the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis to the popularity of digital entertainment, prompting creators like her to rethink who theatre is for and how it connects with audiences. “The cure for this crisis? Honestly, it’s teenagers. It’s young people; it’s the girls, gays and theys. It’s creating work they can resonate with,” she says.

Yve credits social media with some of the show’s success: “Half my work on the show was writing it, but half was figuring out how to use social media to reach the audience I cared about most.” She fired up Instagram and TikTok accounts, and crafted original content that earnt her a reputation as the “Kris Jenner of FANGIRLS” – a marketing move that paid dividends. “People came to the show dressed as characters in it, then other people would see that on TikTok and go, ‘I’ll do a costume!’ Suddenly this community developed, far beyond the work. There are still beautiful friendships between people who found each other in those foyers.”

Yve’s knack for connecting with audiences has scored her dual roles on the upcoming Mackenzie – she will serve as both writer and consulting producer. Before theatre company Bell Shakespeare got the rights, she independently organised early readings to gauge reactions to the new show. “This taught me to really value these people and to put young people at the centre of the process.”

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Lyric Hammersmith Theatre (@lyrichammersmith)

Yve, whose favourite memory of high school Shakespeare was getting to watch Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet across two lessons, was initially drawn to Macbeth thanks to its universal themes. “Macbeth is a banger: like, the theme is toxic ambition… let’s go! It slaps. I was like, ‘How can I use this work to talk about the world right now?’” says Yve. How does a story penned in the 17th century fit into the glittering world of child stardom? Surprisingly well, it turns out. In Macbeth, the title character is praised as the ideal soldier – resolute, fearless, celebrated for his ruthlessness on the battlefield. As Yve puts it, he’s “just slayed at war.” Recasting that figure as a 13-year-old child star and a girl raises fascinating questions about what an ideal soldier looks like in her world, where strength means obedience, professionalism and a perfect attitude rather than bloodshed.

Mackenzie also dives into society’s pathological obsession with youth and fame – the ruthless Lady Macbeth is reimagined as the mother of a child star who must rely on her daughter’s youth as currency. And good news for millennials! The show is set in the year of MySpace and low-rise jeans: 2006. “Can you imagine that costume department? Five belts; tank top over a long sleeve that is striped. Flared jeans, but a skirt on top. Like Ashley Tisdale’s red carpet looks of the early 2000s. I wrote a stage direction about someone pulling out a bedazzled Motorola Razr,” Yve explains.

Rehearsals start in May 2026, for runs of the show in both Sydney/Warrane and Melbourne/Naarm. Beyond that? There are “juicy plans” which Yve can’t share just yet. From FANGIRLS to Mackenzie and beyond, her philosophy to theatre is a refreshing twofold approach: spark laughter, then reflection. “Let’s have a silly, goofy-loofy time. But let’s also think about big thoughts. The best way to get people to listen is to get them to laugh.”

This rad interview comes straight from the pages of issue 129. To get your mitts on a copy, swing past the frankie shop, subscribe or visit one of our lovely stockists.