Ian McKellen to Open All-Trans and Non-Binary TWELFTH NIGHT Reading
The veteran actor will lead a one-night livestreamed rehearsal by Trans What You Will on July 25, with proceeds benefiting Not A Phase.
By: Joshua Wright May. 28, 2025
Sir Ian McKellen will open a new production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night featuring an all-trans and non-binary ensemble, the theatre group Trans What You Will announced in a press release.
The one-night only rehearsed reading is scheduled for July 25 at London’s The Space Theatre and will be broadcast globally via livestream. All profits from the performance will be donated to the UK-based trans charity Not A Phase.
The performance precedes London Trans+ Pride and is described as “a joyful act of protest and pleasure activism, celebrating gender diversity at a time when trans representation remains under threat.”
Tickets to attend in person and for the livestream are available on a pay-what-you-can basis here.
Trans What You Will is a London‐based theatre company dedicated to staging Shakespearean works with exclusively trans and nonbinary casts. Founded to amplify underrepresented voices within classical theatre, the company aims to champion creative collaboration and authentic storytelling.
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