Sir Ian McKellen Puts Transgender Twist on Shakespeare’s ‘Twefth Night’

Sir Ian McKellen, best known as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, is back in the spotlight—this time not for his acting, but for his latest project: producing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with an all transgender and non-binary cast.

According to Pink News, McKellen will join “the one-night only rehearsed reading by the theatre group Trans What You Will in July.” The event will be held at London’s The Space Theatre and, since the show is already sold out, it will be livestreamed worldwide.

All the money raised will go to Not A Phase, a UK charity that describes itself 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.” The performance is conveniently scheduled just before London Trans+ Pride, and organizers are calling it “a joyful act of protest and pleasure activism, celebrating gender diversity at a time when trans representation remains under threat.”

Now, for those who haven’t kept up with the endless reimagining of classic works, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night already deals with gender and mistaken identity. The character Viola, for example, disguises herself as a man to get by in a society that kept women out of exclusive circles. Some have even argued that the play criticizes the old rule in Elizabethan England that banned women from acting, forcing men to play female roles.

A press release for the McKellen production spells it out: “With mistaken identities, cross-dressing, and declarations of love across shifting gender roles, Twelfth Night has long explored the complexity of identity.” And, just in case anyone missed the point, it adds, “This production makes that queerness explicit, reclaiming the story through the lived experiences of trans and nonbinary artists.”

Director Phoebe Kemp seems convinced this is what Shakespeare would have wanted. “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,” said Kemp.

So, if you thought you’d seen every possible version of Shakespeare, think again. In today’s entertainment world, it seems there’s always another opportunity to spotlight and celebrate transgender themes—no matter how many times the story has already been retold.

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