‘The media response has been kind of bigger than I could have ever imagined, for something that when it started, was a small fringe theatre thing,’said Phoebe Kemp.
Phoebe is the trans and non-binary director of an upcoming performance of Twelfth Night that will be staged at The Space Theatre in London on July 25 2025 – the eve of London Trans Pride – and feature only trans and non-binary actors.
Since the news emerged that Sir Ian McKellen is set to open the production, the event, which will be livestreamed, has sold over 1,600 tickets, with the media gobbling up the story.
The positive announcement was covered across all sorts of major platforms, and Phoebe praised the Lord of the Rings actor for using his power for good and being only too happy to jump on board.
‘It was very simple. Nancy [the show’s producer] emailed his management team and said, “Would he be interested in hosting the event?” And he said, “Yes.” Like, very, very easy, nothing complicated.
‘I’ve actually spoken to other people I know in the theatre industry. It sounds like that’s kind of the person he is.’
In April, it was announced that Sir Ian was set to appear in Dragged Through Time, a 14-year-old filmmaker’s directorial debut that explores 1,000 years of gay history.
The acting legend has long been a supporter and patron of various LGBTQ+ charities and has lent his voice where possible to support LGBTQ+ performances and artists.
Pheobe referenced these examples and added: ‘I think he’s aware of his power as a celebrity or as a famous person, that his presence is something that will really bring attention to it.
‘He’s just been very, very generous with his time, and I think it’s a real example of how good people can use celebrity for good.’
While his stardom has brought attention to the production, not all of the attention has been 100% positive. When asked about potential criticism about excluding people who aren’t trans or non-binary from the production, Phoebe deftly pointed out the hypocrisy.
‘Do they also criticise the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, who only do Shakespeare with all men? Are they also criticising the various white productions that happen?’
‘It’s an artistic take, in the same way that it would be an artistic take to say, doing all female Shakespeare or Shakespeare with people who are all from one racial background. It’s a cultural choice, and it doesn’t stop anybody else doing their own Shakespeare.’
Phoebe emphasised that now is an important time for the trans and non-binary community, particularly given the recent Supreme Court ruling about the definition of a woman.
‘I think the timing – we didn’t know that the Supreme Court ruling was going to come, that was kind of all not in the planning. But I think it kind of very much feels even more important, as a response to that.’
The director expanded, explaining that their hopes for the production are to ‘put trans people, very up, like front and centre of something, and go, “Look, here we are. We’re brilliant, and we’re talented.”‘
They added that it’s also an attempt to remind some groups on a more basic level that trans people are worthy of basic respect.
‘I think it’s really great to go, “We are people.” Remind people we are all humans. Here is us tackling something that is kind of a huge part of our cultural history. This is kind of just what we want. We just want to be able to do the things that everybody else can do, which shouldn’t be a massive ask, but can feel like it.’
They added that this performance was set to be a celebration, and wouldn’t fall into the classic trope of involving trans people, just focusing on the challenges of their gender identity.
‘There are a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now, and it can sometimes feel like, “well, what can I do?” And I think while there is a place for stories that tell the darkness, I think there’s also a place for, really celebrating joy and positivity in marginalised communities.
‘It’s really important that trans people don’t only tell stories, aren’t only put in stories that are about kind of the trauma of kind of transphobia.’
Despite media attention on the performance, funding is still an issue for this production and a key reason the performance is a table read, and not a full-scale performance.
‘We don’t have any funding. We’re paying everybody through ticket sales. Rehearsals take a lot of time and therefore money to pay everybody. I’m really passionate about paying people, I don’t want to ask people to work for free.
‘So there was no way to, at this point, find the money to do it as a full production. Whereas this is kind of an achievable goal, we can make this happen.
‘I would love, love, love for it to be all production. If anybody who sees it would like to produce it. That would be amazing!’
Trans What You Will’s production of Twelfth Night is set to take place on July 25 at The Space theatre.
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