A brand-new company – Trans What You Will – will make its debut next month with a one-night-only rehearsed reading of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night starring Sir Ian McKellen.
Directed entirely by and starring trans and nonbinary performers, the production marks a significant milestone in queer theatre.
The event will be staged at The Space Theatre in London on 25 July 2025, on the eve of London Trans Pride, and will be available to watch globally via livestream.
In a touch of theatrical royalty, the reading will be opened by none other than Sir Ian McKellen, whose storied career includes some of the most iconic roles in the Shakespearean canon.
‘Twelfth Night already toys with gender and performance—it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us,’ said director Phoebe Kemp (they/them), who leads the production.
‘This reading is about joy, solidarity, and showing what’s possible when trans and nonbinary artists are at the centre of the story.’
As one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Twelfth Night revolves around mistaken identities, gender disguise, and love that defies expectations – making it a particularly fitting choice for reinterpretation through a trans lens.
Viola, the play’s protagonist, survives a shipwreck and disguises herself as a man, leading to a cascade of romantic entanglements and revelations.
‘With mistaken identities, cross-dressing, and declarations of love across shifting gender roles, Twelfth Night has long explored the complexity of identity,’ a Trans What You Will spokesperson noted.
‘This production makes that queerness explicit, reclaiming the story through the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary artists.’
In a time when the rights and representation of trans people remain under intense scrutiny and political debate, this production is unapologetically celebratory.
It’s an artistic assertion that trans and nonbinary stories not only belong on stage – they belong at the centre.
All profits from the evening will be donated to Not a Phase, a UK-based charity that supports the lives of trans and gender-diverse people.
Sir Ian McKellen’s involvement in the production is both symbolic and significant. A longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and one of the most revered Shakespearean actors of his generation, McKellen has portrayed a staggering array of the Bard’s greatest roles, from Macbeth to King Lear.
Whether in the room at The Space or watching from around the world, audiences will witness a night that promises not just to reimagine Shakespeare, but to reimagine who gets to tell the stories that define us.
For in-person tickets, click here.
For livestream tickets, click here.
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