DIVA sat down with the Hollyoaks star to find out more about this historic event
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY GETTY
On Friday 25 July, a historic production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night will be taking place at the Space Theatre. An entirely trans cast of brilliant actors will take to the stage for a rehearsed reading of the iconic play. Sir Ian McKellen himself will be there to introduce and support the play.
Twelfth Night is arguably one of Shakespeare’s queerest plays. It is a witty and romantic tale of mistaken identity, where Viola disguises herself as a man and inadvertently sparks a love triangle that blurs the lines of gender and desire. Through its playful exploration of attraction beyond traditional norms, the play celebrates the fluidity of love and identity in a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
Annie Wallace made history in her role on Hollyoaks, becoming the first trans person to regularly play a trans character on a British soap. Now she is taking on the role of Feste in this groundbreaking production. We chatted to the star to find out more.
This production is so revolutionary. How did you get involved with Trans What You Will?
I saw a post from Trans What You Will on Instagram about how they wanted to stage an all-trans rehearsed reading of Twelfth Night. And then I saw that it was going to be supported and introduced by Sir Ian McKellen. I knew I wanted to be involved with that. I auditioned and they offered me the role of Feste. We met on Zoom for the first time, and it was mostly people I didn’t know, except Iz Hesketh. It was a nice bunch of people – a real cross-section of trans men, women and non-binary people.
What’s it been like rehearsing for this production?
It’s been an interesting rehearsal experience. Some people are very familiar with Shakespeare, some are not. It’s always a bit of a learning curve because of the way that Shakespeare writes. It’s a unique thing, and hopefully the first of many. It has to inspire people, especially right now. Trans people are being – or at least they’re trying to – stamped out of existence.
Usually, for trans actors, they are the only trans person in a cast. What has it been like to work with an entirely trans cast?
It’s really nice. My approach to it is like it’s just another group of actors. I’m aware of the importance of it. There was a time when trans actors were completely invisible. It was literally a case of “nobody wants to see that on their telly”. And then Orange Is The New Black came out with Laverne Cox which opened a window for a small number of us to get our break. And then it all contracted. As the hostility towards trans people grew, the number of trans people appearing on stage or television shrank.
It’s depressing. That’s why we need this show. Let’s show the talent. Let’s show the willingness – that we’re just creatives like everyone else. At the end of the day, we’re creatives who also have a voice politically and socially. And like all arts professionals, we’re going to use it.
Shakespeare is known for the queer undertones of his plays. You’re playing the role of Feste – how have you connected with the part?
Feste is one of these characters that traditionally has been flexible. There is no requirement for Feste to be male or female. Shakespeare’s always dressing up women as men and men as women. Shakespeare loved to play with that.
Do you think Shakespeare would like this new production?
I think he’d love it.
You can still buy tickets to watch the livestream of Trans What You Will’s Twelfth Night here: space.org.uk/event/twelfth-night-livestream/
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