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BrumHour saw All Is But Fantasy: Lady Macbeth and Juliet at the invite of The RSC.
By Dave Massey
This production contains strong language.
All Is But Fantasy: Lady Macbeth/Juliet at The RSC, The Other Place: Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐”A fascinating and frank exploration of Shakespeare”
Written, composed and directed by Whitney White
Whitney White explores the characters of Lady Macbeth, plus Emilia from Othello, in Part One of All Is But Fantasy and Juliet (from Romeo and Juliet) plus Richard III, in Part Two. This is a musical exploration of the legacy, impact and limitations of Shakespeare in a 2026 world.
Whitney plays “Woman” who then in turn becomes these four characters as she explores what it means to be a woman in Shakespeare. Renée Lamb, Georgina Onuorah and Timmika Ramsay play the witches from Macbeth and are introduced with their own names at the very start. Daniel Krikler is “Man” and mostly plays all the men’s roles in each story. The play also explores Whitney as a Black Female American and how this impacts her relationship with the world.
This is a challenging, lengthy and sometimes stark pair of plays, but the humour and warmth of the welcome is there to make everyone feel included in the narrative.
Whitney White, Renée Lamb, Georgina Onuorah and Timmika Ramsay are all fantastic, and it feels very much like they are a single unit of strength. Whilst Daniel Krikler is excellent as the man.
The set is a three-sided stage with a band at the rear, and it mainly resembles a musical concert with several props. The band is excellent and really helps the vibe and soundscape of this quirky production. I came out of this show feeling empowered and with a thirst to discover even more about Shakespeare’s works.
A fascinating and frank exploration of Shakespeare, All Is But Fantasy: Lady Macbeth (Part one) and Juliet (Part two is at The RSC, The Other Place until 21st February 2026. Book tickets here: rsc.org.uk/all-is-but-fantasy.
