Theatre company Trans What You Will is mounting a new, entirely trans and non-binary production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, with a live premiere presented by Elliot Page on 24 July. The cast and creative team will perform at The Space Theatre in London while making the production available through a global live-stream, widening access beyond the auditorium and inviting viewers from different countries to witness a deliberately inclusive reimagining of a classic comedy.
This forthcoming staging builds on the company’s acclaimed debut: an all-trans production of Twelfth Night in July 2026 that opened with support from Sir Ian McKellen. That earlier run sold around 2,300 tickets and raised £8,000 for the trans charity Not a Phase, establishing Trans What You Will as both an artistic and community-minded force in contemporary theatre.
Why this play matters for a trans and non-binary company
As You Like It offers a theatrical terrain well suited to a company focused on gender and identity: the comedy’s motifs of disguise, swapping roles and amorous confusion mean the text naturally accommodates performers who challenge traditional categories. The production team describes Shakespeare’s work as containing characters who historically refuse tidy labels, and the company intends to foreground those elements through casting, direction and design. This approach treats the play not as a period curiosity but as a living script that resonates with current conversations about gender diversity.
Director’s vision and cultural context
Director Phoebe Kemp, who led both the Twelfth Night production and the new staging, has expressed excitement about exploring the play’s queer and gendered layers. Kemp frames the project as an act of joyful resistance: at a time when the trans community faces growing hostility in many places, the production aims to counteract oppression by centering pleasure, creativity and visibility. This is presented as more than casting politics—it’s an intentional artistic choice to let trans and non-binary performers claim classical material on their own terms.
Access, outreach and how to watch
Tickets for evening performances and the global live-stream are available now on a sliding-scale model to broaden affordability, and the company has retained a specific allocation strategy for younger audiences. Remaining matinee seats will be distributed through a free lottery for people under 25, after priority places are given to London-based LGBTQIA+ youth organisations. The production’s ticketing page is hosted at space.org.uk/event/as-you-like-it/, reflecting a commitment to reducing barriers to attendance both in person and online.
Digital reach and international steps
The company is extending its footprint beyond the UK by staging a production of Twelfth Night in Barcelona on 1 August, marking Trans What You Will’s first international presentation. The organisation’s choice to live-stream As You Like It underlines a larger strategy: to combine grassroots, in-theatre experiences with digital distribution so that audiences who cannot travel still participate in work by and for trans and non-binary artists.
Lasting impact and community ties
Trans What You Will’s initial run of Twelfth Night in July 2026 demonstrated both public interest and philanthropic potential: the company sold roughly 2,300 tickets and raised £8,000 for Not a Phase, a trans support charity. Those outcomes helped validate the model of combining professional-quality theatre with intentional community fundraising and outreach. The upcoming As You Like It aims to continue that trajectory by keeping ticket prices on a sliding scale and offering targeted free access for younger attendees.
Supporting queer media and institutions
Alongside the production, media organisations that focus on LGBTQIA+ women and gender-diverse people have highlighted how important it is to sustain outlets that amplify marginalised voices. Publications such as DIVA have for decades chronicled queer culture and now operate as a charitable entity—the DIVA Charitable Trust—to bolster community journalism and arts coverage. Fans and allies are encouraged to engage with and support such platforms to ensure continued visibility for projects like Trans What You Will.
What to expect when you go
According to listings, As You Like It runs from 22–24 July 2026 at The Space Theatre, with the official live premiere on 24 July. Audiences can anticipate a production that pairs classical language with contemporary casting and design choices intended to emphasize gender fluidity and theatrical playfulness. Whether attending in person or via the global live-stream, viewers should expect a celebratory, community-oriented take on one of Shakespeare’s most famously mutable comedies.