HER Productions are delighted to announce their annual Unseemly Shakespeare production for Summer 2026 will be the ultimate romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. In keeping with their tradition of redefining Shakespeare and creating work that reimagines the Bard through an all-female and non-binary cast – this new production will be no exception with three Coronation Street fan favourites CHANNIQUE STERLING BROWN, HANNAH ELLIS-RYAN and BETH VYSE all playing key roles.
Opening on June 19 at The Dukes in Lancaster, HER’s Twelfth Night will then tour to Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre, and in July to Rochdale Heywood Civic and the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield.
Shipwrecked and separated from her twin, Viola washes ashore in Illyria. Disguising herself as the suave Cesario, she enters the service of Count Orsino who pines for the aloof Olivia. But as Viola navigates tangled desires and mistaken identities, love blossoms in unexpected places.
In the central role of Viola is HANNAH ELLIS-RYAN. Hannah has appeared most recently in HER’s PRIVATE LIVES, James Graham’s ‘The Angry Brigade’, directed by Oli Hurst, ‘COCK’ by Mike Bartlett, Othello (North East Tour), A Doll’s House (Elysium Theatre Company) and over 30 episodes of Coronation Street (playing Hannah Gilmore – the daughter of Liz and Jim McDonald). She has also produced short films with Brew Up Productions, the latest of which ‘Filter’, won Best Short at the British International Film Festival, which Hannah also wrote and starred in. In 2025 Hannah was awarded the Olwyn Wymark Award for her work in new writing by the Writers Guild of Great Britain.
CHANNIQUE STERLING BROWN, who is playing Feste is perhaps best known for her three year stint on the cobbles of Coronation Street where she played the role of Dee Dee Bailey up until last year, and for which she was awarded the British Soap Award for Best Newcomer at the 2023 British Soap Awards.
BETH VYSE who is playing Sir Toby, has also appeared as a series regular in Weatherfield, playing Coronation Street regular Bridget. She is also known for her role as Sister Levi in the Channel 4 sitcom, Everyone Else Burns.
Playing alongside them are LUCIE BROWNE as Sebastian; KASSIE JAY ELLIS as Sir Andrew; JESSICA MANNION as Olivia; ANGELA HEENAN as Orsino; SOPHIE ELLICOTT as Antonio; FRANKIE GOLD as Malvolio; MAYA DHOKIA as Maria and BETH SIME as Valentine.
KAYLEIGH HAWKINS will co-direct this production alongside STUART CROWTHER.
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