EXCLUSIVE: Trailer release for ‘Lady Macbeth Was Never a Girl’ by Francesca McBride

15 October 2026 | By Molly Lipson

Set in a British secondary school during the 1990s, Lady Macbeth Was Never a Girl follows fifteen-year-old Jessica as they begin to notice a quiet disconnect between who they are and who everyone expects them to be. Through the symbolism of a forgotten pair of joggers, a line from Shakespeare's Macbeth, and the everyday rituals of school life, the film explores the earliest moments of identity taking shape - not through declaration, but through recognition.

Writer-director and star Francesa McBride shares that they wanted to tell the story “that comes before certainty. Before coming out, before labels, before having the language to explain yourself. For so many people, identity begins with small moment; a feeling, a question, a line from a play, a piece of clothing that somehow feels more like you than anything you've worn before. Those moments deserve to be seen, because they matter."

The short is the first instalment of a planned trilogy exploring gender, adolescence, and connection in British school settings. You can watch the trailer below.