Sir Ian McKellen is set to open a rehearsed reading of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, performed by an exclusively trans and non-binary cast. Taking place in London’s The Space Theatre on Friday, July 25, any profits from the event will be donated to UK-based charity Not A Phase.
This reading of Twelfth Night serves as the debut production from Trans What You Will. The play comedically explores love, mistaken identity and gender fluidity, with Director Phoebe Kemp saying, “it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us”.
“This reading is about joy, solidarity and showing what’s possible when trans and non-binary artists are at the centre of the story,” they continued.
A representative from Trans What You Will added, “With mistaken identities, cross-dressing, and declarations of love across shifting gender roles, Twelfth Night has long explored the complexity of identity. This production makes that queerness explicit, reclaiming the story through the lived experiences of trans and non-binary artists.”
In a social media post for Trans What You Will, McKellen shared, “Twelfth Night is perhaps the funniest and most moving of Shakespeare’s plays. This is achieved through the complexity of gender and sexuality from first to last.
“I’m really looking forward to the impact of this latest version of the play at The Space. I hope to see you there!”
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Sir Ian McKellen is known for playing many of Shakespeare’s greatest characters, including Richard II, Macbeth, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III and King Lear. The 86-year-old is an Olivier and Tony Award winner and has been nominated for two Oscars.
He came out as gay in 1988 to protest UK legislation that barred local governments and schools from “promoting homosexuality”. The law was later repealed in 2023.
While tickets for the in-person performance of Twelfth Night are sold out, a global livestream is available to audiences everywhere on the night and for two weeks after.
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