Something 'Weird' is Brewing: A Musical Review

Over four days and seven performances, the brand new musical Weird made its exclusive worldwide debut in January 2026 at Newcastle Theatre Royal to a limited audience. This Macbeth-inspired musical showcased fun, boppable music, c*nty outfits, and phenomenal voices from a hot cast, whilst creating an exemplarily visionary experience through its staging and lighting. For those of you fond of the musical world, this summary may give you flashbacks to when you first watched Six. They definitely ooze the same vibe of enthusiastic feminist fun, which is enjoyable for all.

This electric, fast-paced musical has a runtime of only 80 minutes and no interval, but from start to finish, you are fully immersed in the experience. As an inspired retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the story is told from the perspective of the three Weird Witches: Phoenix (Gabriela Benedetti), Luna (Hope Dawe) and Angelique (Kingsley Morton). Their mesmerising performances beautifully illustrate sisterly chemistry, whilst defining each sister with a distinct characteristic: the stressed and overwhelmed leader, the ditzy, bubbly middle child, and the underestimated younger sister.

This fast-paced musical was easy to follow. Shakespeare's ensemble was reduced to only eight key individuals, each role thoughtfully curated and effortlessly embodied. In addition to the Weird Witches, characters ranged from campy himbos (Banquo, by Elliot Evans), a ruthless, blood-stained Queen (Lady Macbeth, by Scarlet Billham), an unlikely hero (King Duncan/Macduff, by Andrew Patrick-Walker) and a paranoid, bloodthirsty Macbeth (Dean John Wilson). The diversity of the characters’ qualities allowed for a range of themes and energy levels in the musical's songs. ‘Banquo and the Banquet’ delivers an upbeat, thrilling performance of Banquo's ghost haunting Macbeth, whilst we slowly witness his descent into madness on stage. Lady Macbeth, however, stole the show with her villainous movements and astonishing vocal range in ‘Queen of Ambition’.

So, is the North finally getting recognition for its incredible theatre? I have had the pleasure of growing up in Newcastle with a mum who took any opportunity to take me to the Theatre Royal. However, this isn't a luxury that everyone has access to or thinks of taking up. Wallsend-born producer Michael Harrison seems to have made an explicit effort to ensure the accessibility and inclusivity of this show. The production team made a statement of 'theatre for all' by waiving ticket costs for 5,000 school children to have an exclusive viewing of the musical before the last few shows opened to the public. Theatre, whether it be musical, opera or a play, shouldn’t be an exclusive event, as I can guarantee there’s at least one performance out there that's definitely your cup of tea, no matter how niche.

Theatre is constantly adapting. So many young minds and people from different backgrounds are what’s needed to continue to encourage this diverse ecosystem. New people, new ideas, and new stories are what make theatre an evergreen form of entertainment. One of those 5,000 children could easily have been inspired to get into a career in theatre - whether that be acting, costume design, or script-writing.

This hasn’t been the only success story for Northern theatres, as Newcastle Theatre Royal also had the privilege of being the opening venue for the new production of the legendary Miss Saigon back in October 2025 for its UK tour.

So, what is next for this spectacular musical? Currently, it's radio silence for this debut - but with more exposure, I'm certain we should be hearing news of this production circulating soon. In the meantime, we must all eagerly await an album....

Weird played at the Newcastle Theatre Royal from the 28th to the 31st of January 2026.

Words by Amy Ward, she/her