A brand-new firm – Trans What You Will – will make its debut subsequent month with a one-night-only rehearsed studying of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Evening starring Sir Ian McKellen.
Directed solely by and starring trans and nonbinary performers, the manufacturing marks a major milestone in queer theatre.
The occasion will probably be staged at The Area Theatre in London on 25 July 2025, on the eve of London Trans Delight, and will probably be obtainable to observe globally through livestream.
In a contact of theatrical royalty, the studying will probably be opened by none apart from Sir Ian McKellen, whose storied profession contains a number of the most iconic roles within the Shakespearean canon.
‘Twelfth Evening already toys with gender and efficiency—it appears like Shakespeare wrote it for us,’ stated director Phoebe Kemp (they/them), who leads the manufacturing.
‘This studying is about pleasure, solidarity, and displaying what’s attainable when trans and nonbinary artists are on the centre of the story.’
As one among Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Twelfth Evening revolves round mistaken identities, gender disguise, and love that defies expectations – making it a very becoming alternative for reinterpretation by way of a trans lens.
Viola, the play’s protagonist, survives a shipwreck and disguises herself as a person, resulting in a cascade of romantic entanglements and revelations.
‘With mistaken identities, cross-dressing, and declarations of affection throughout shifting gender roles, Twelfth Evening has lengthy explored the complexity of identification,’ a Trans What You Will spokesperson famous.
‘This manufacturing makes that queerness express, reclaiming the story by way of the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary artists.’
In a time when the rights and illustration of trans individuals stay underneath intense scrutiny and political debate, this manufacturing is unapologetically celebratory.
It’s a creative assertion that trans and nonbinary tales not solely belong on stage – they belong on the centre.
All earnings from the night will probably be donated to Not a Section, a UK-based charity that helps the lives of trans and gender-diverse individuals.
Sir Ian McKellen’s involvement within the manufacturing is each symbolic and important. A longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and some of the revered Shakespearean actors of his era, McKellen has portrayed a staggering array of the Bard’s biggest roles, from Macbeth to King Lear.
Whether or not within the room at The Area or watching from around the globe, audiences will witness an evening that guarantees not simply to reimagine Shakespeare, however to reimagine who will get to inform the tales that outline us.
For in-person tickets, click on right here.
For livestream tickets, click on right here.
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