Twelfth Night: 1941

Inspired by incredible true events

London, 5th January, 1941. On one of the coldest nights of the century, a troupe of actors gather at the local church hall to mount Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’.

When their theater is destroyed in a bombing, the resilient troupe must relocate their play just in time to re-open on the actual 12th Night of Christmas.

In the morning, James, one of their leading men, ships out to war. No one says it, but everyone knows this is the last night they’ll all be together. Old tensions surface fast, and a scheme is hatched to give him a send-off worth remembering.

Grief and gallows humor bleed into Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities, and what emerges is a singular theatrical experience that embraces the chaos, joy, and beauty of the reality around them – that can’t seem to escape the horrors of the war happening right outside the door.

For one night, four hundred years of mirth and melancholy find new life, held together by music, nerve, and a dash of holiday magic.

With gorgeous original live music throughout, Twelfth Night: 1941 is a love letter to the human urge to gather, tell stories, and embrace joy in the face of mortality and devastation.

Creative Team

Written and Directed by Ellyn Heald (and William Shakespeare)

Music by Will Healy

Additional Songs by Ellyn Heald

Produced by Living Room Productions

Lead Producer: Laura Carswell

Executive Producers: Martin Kemp, Ellyn Heald

Associate Producer: Kaileela Hobby

FULL CAST TO BE ANNOUNCED