Sir Ian McKellen will be introducing a UK performance of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” featuring a cast entirely of transgender and non-binary performers this summer.
The Trans What You Will theater group will soon be globally livestreaming their performance of a rehearsed reading of Shakespeare comedy “Twelfth Night” at The Space theater in London on July 25.
The cast, as announced in their casting call, will consist of “12 – 14 trans and non-binary performers,” noting, “We are particularly interested in hearing from those who are multiply marginalized as we want a wide representation of the trans community.”
The theater group announced on its official Instagram page that “iconic actor and LGBTQ+ activist, Sir Ian McKellen, will be introducing our show!”
The post featured a statement from the famous film actor, declaring, “’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!”
“Twelfth Night already toys with gender and performance – it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us. This reading is about joy, solidarity and showing what’s possible when trans and nonbinary artists are at the center of the story,” director Phoebe Kemp told Attitude magazine.
A representative for the Trans What You Will theater company offered a similar statement, declaring, “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 nonbinary artists.”
According to its crowdfunding campaign, profits will be sent to trans charity Not a Phase.
Not A Phase describes itself on its website as a “trans-led, nationwide charity committed to uplifting and improving the lives of trans+ adults, through awareness campaigning, social projects and funding trans+ lead initiatives.”
