LIV: Sapphic Shakespeare is a retelling of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare- a reimagining where the two heroines Olivia and Viola fall in love with each other. Written in the style of Shakespeare (with a few of his good lines thrown in!), the play tackles loss and dealing with grief while having to live a public life, falling in love and coming to understand your queerness.
Following a successful run at Brighton Fringe, nominated performances at Buxton Fringe and their London debut, the “small but mighty” trio (★★★★-West End Best Friend) at Headache Creative Productions are delighted to be bringing LIV to Guildford!
Writer, actor, producer and Guildford School of Acting alumni Tanieth Kerr was inspired to write LIV after watching Twelfth Night at the RSC: “I have always thought that Olivia and Viola had a lot in common so I started asking myself what if: what if Orsino’s pursuit wasn’t honourable, what if Olivia was set to inherit a high position in the public eye and what would happen then if Viola fell for Olivia and Olivia loved her back?”
Katy Livsey is an emerging director from North Derbyshire and she enjoys tackling classical texts and adaptation work, finding new ways to make story-telling more accessible to contemporary audiences. She states, “it’s a real privilege to be able to collaborate with Tanieth on this project. I’m really looking forward to seeing LIV up on its feet in Guildford!“
Making her professional debut in the title role, Beth Birss is an emerging actress from Essex who has recently graduated from ArtsEd’s Acting course. She says, “Shakespeare is what bonded Tanieth and I together at university and I am so grateful to Katy and Tanieth for inviting me to join this project.”
Venue: The Back Room of The Star Inn, Guildford
Dates: 16th September 2025
Time: 7:30pm
Suitable for 12+
Ticket Prices: £12
LIV:SAPPHIC SHAKESPEARE Twelfth Night fanfiction
By NickWyschna